The New York Times Book Review - Sarah Harrison Smith
McCarthy's googly-eyed portraits make Skelton's story amusing as well as inspiring.
Kirkus Reviews
DAREDEVIL, * starred review
Ever hear of Betty Skelton? Most people haven’t, yet this woman was a whirling daredevil who liked to go fast and broke records in aviation and auto racing.
In the 1930s, most girls played with dolls, but not Betty: She was obsessed with airplanes, and at age 16, she soloed. She wanted to be a commercial pilot and fly in the Navy, but she was laughed at. So she became a stunt pilot with her dog, Little Tinker, by her side and no shoes on her feet. In 1951 she broke an altitude record. Then she traded planes for race cars and drove into a new career, breaking the women’s record at the Bonneville Salt Flats with a speed of 315.74 mph. those challenges weren’t enough for Betty, and she went on to driving a stunt boat. What was next? She trained to be an astronaut, but NASA wasn’t ready to send a female into space. Even so, Betty had “proven that women could do it as well as men.” The acrylic cartoon illustrations play up Betty’s spunk and derring-do with McCarthy’s trademark googly eyed expressions. Her achievements are stated in the straightforward narrative, but the author allows readers to tap into her personality through use of quotes: When Betty flew higher than Mount Everest, she said: “My feet darn near froze to death.”
McCarthy has spun an adventurous story about this little-known woman, highlighting her groundbreaking triumphs with respectful whimsy. (“Fun Facts,” additional quotes, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
From the Publisher
DAREDEVIL, • starred review
Ever hear of Betty Skelton? Most people haven’t, yet this woman was a whirling daredevil who liked to go fast and broke records in aviation and auto racing.
In the 1930s, most girls played with dolls, but not Betty: She was obsessed with airplanes, and at age 16, she soloed. She wanted to be a commercial pilot and fly in the Navy, but she was laughed at. So she became a stunt pilot with her dog, Little Tinker, by her side and no shoes on her feet. In 1951 she broke an altitude record. Then she traded planes for race cars and drove into a new career, breaking the women’s record at the Bonneville Salt Flats with a speed of 315.74 mph. those challenges weren’t enough for Betty, and she went on to driving a stunt boat. What was next? She trained to be an astronaut, but NASA wasn’t ready to send a female into space. Even so, Betty had “proven that women could do it as well as men.” The acrylic cartoon illustrations play up Betty’s spunk and derring-do with McCarthy’s trademark googly eyed expressions. Her achievements are stated in the straightforward narrative, but the author allows readers to tap into her personality through use of quotes: When Betty flew higher than Mount Everest, she said: “My feet darn near froze to death.”
McCarthy has spun an adventurous story about this little-known woman, highlighting her groundbreaking triumphs with respectful whimsy. (“Fun Facts,” additional quotes, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
JANUARY 2015 - AudioFile
Need for speed” is the perfect expression to describe Betty Skelton, and narrator Susie Berneis—as she speeds from one Skelton escapade to the next. Growing up in the 1930s in Pensacola, Florida, Skelton watched naval planes fly overhead. By the age of 12, she was flying by herself (illegally), and by 16 she had her pilot’s license. Her little known career took her from stunt flying to setting a record for high-altitude flying in 1951. She went on to race-car driving on the Bonneville Salt Flats, became the first female boat jumper, and finally trained with the Mercury 7 astronauts. Berneis is firm and precise in her narration, and one can’t help but think that this is just the way Betty Skelton might have spoken. The production is punctuated with sound effects and occasional music. A.R. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
Ever hear of Betty Skelton? Most people haven't, yet this woman was a whirling daredevil who liked to go fast and broke records in aviation and auto racing. In the 1930s, most girls played with dolls, but not Betty: She was obsessed with airplanes, and at age 16, she soloed. She wanted to be a commercial pilot and fly in the Navy, but she was laughed at. So she became a stunt pilot with her dog, Little Tinker, by her side and no shoes on her feet. In 1951 she broke an altitude record. Then she traded planes for race cars and drove into a new career, breaking the women's record at the Bonneville Salt Flats with a speed of 315.74 mph. Those challenges weren't enough for Betty, and she went on to driving a stunt boat. What was next? She trained to be an astronaut, but NASA wasn't ready to send a female into space. Even so, Betty had "proven that women could do it as well as men." The acrylic cartoon illustrations play up Betty's spunk and derring-do with McCarthy's trademark googly eyed expressions. Her achievements are stated in the straightforward narrative, but the author allows readers to tap into her personality through use of quotes: When Betty flew higher than Mount Everest, she said: "My feet darn near froze to death." McCarthy has spun an adventurous story about this little-known woman, highlighting her groundbreaking triumphs with respectful whimsy. ("Fun Facts," additional quotes, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
