First there was Rose, then there was Sophie, then there was Elisabeth... and now I'm delighted to introduce you to LOTTIE!
Lottie the Little Wonder is my latest book for Barrington Stoke's super-readable Little Gems series and it has been gorgeously illustrated by Ella Okstad. If you're familiar with these books you'll know that each of them is inspired by an amazing real-life heroine from history. This time I've taken inspiration from the extraordinary athlete Lottie Dod.
The youngest ever Wimbledon Ladies Singles tennis champion, she first won Wimbledon in 1887 aged just 15 and went on to win again in 1888, 1891, 1882 and 1893.
But as if an incredible tennis career wasn't enough, she also went on to excel at a whole host of other sports. She played hockey for the England women's team; she was the British Ladies' National Golf champion; and she even won an Olympic medal for archery! She also loved cycling, ice skating and mountaineering, among many other sporting interests.
In Lottie the Little Wonder, we go back to her childhood to take a look at how her tennis career and her passion for sport might have first begun...
"Girls can't play tennis as well as boys? What a lot of NONSENSE!" Lottie Dod is DETERMINED to show that girls can be just as good as sports as boys. She runs and jumps and leaps after the ball - playing tennis makes Lottie feel WONDERFUL. After beating her brothers, she eventually goes on to reach the finals of the most important tennis competition of them all - WIMBLEDON! Can she continue her winning streak to become the world's first female sports SUPERSTAR? NEVER underestimate what little girls can do!
This book has gorgeous artwork by amazing illustrator Ella Okstad, who has done such a fabulous job of bringing Lottie and her world vividly to life.
Publishing on 7th March 2024, you can preorder Lottie the Little Wonder now from Waterstones.
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