The Brave Cyclist/The True Story of a Holocaust Hero

     This gripping picture book biography is about a good man – a man of compassion and determination.
     Gino Bartali was born in Italy in 1914 to a family of modest means. Though a sickly child, he loved cycling and rode with his friends in the steep hills around his town, surprised he was the fastest.
      As he grew older, Gino joined cycling racing teams, helping his mates whenever they faltered.  In 1938, he entered the hardest cycling race in the world, the Tour de France. He won.
     In 1943, during World War II, a priest who was a good friend of Gino’s asked him to help the Jews of Italy evade the cruel dictates of Mussolini, the country’s leader. Gino cycled from town to town, hiding in parts of his bicycle forged identity papers that would keep Jews safe. But after a time, he was discovered and jailed, not to be released until the dictator fell from power.
     To celebrate the Italian people’s freedom, Gino Bartali entered the Tour de France again. Again, he won.
      Amalia Hoffman’s writing is both rich and clean, her passion for her subject apparent. She grew up in Israel and tells in the afterword that Gino is recognized in the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.
     Chiara Fedele of Milan creates pictures both somber and arresting that capture the weight of the times and the passion and strength of the “brave cyclist.”
     Strongly recommended for readers 7 and older.

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