Picture Books About the Olympics For Toddlers and Kids
20 Pictures Books About the Olympics For Kids to Read Before the Summer Games
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Whether they're about gold medalists, history-making Olympians, or just the spirit of the Olympics in general, there are so many fun picture books for toddlers and kids to enjoy leading up to the summer games. From a story about a pig who is training for the Animal Olympics to books about Simone Biles and Jesse Owens, there's something for every kid on this reading list.
Keep scrolling to shop and learn more about each picture book (and if you're also looking to have an Olympics-themed family movie night, check out these streaming films).
1 She Persisted in Sports: American Olympians Who Changed the Game
What It's About: "Throughout history, women have been told that they couldn't achieve their dreams, no matter how hard they tried. Women athletes have faced their own unique set of challenges, across countless sports and levels of play. In this third She Persisted book, Chelsea Clinton introduces readers to women who have excelled in their sports because of their persistence."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-8
Buy It Here: She Persisted in Sports: American Olympians Who Changed the Game ($15)
2 Jesse Owens (Little People, BIG DREAMS)
What It's About: "The youngest of ten children, Jesse grew up working in the cotton fields of Alabama. Discovered by his high school track and field coach, Jesse quickly rose to fame as an athlete. He went on the challenge racism on the world stage at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and made new world records. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the athlete and activist's life."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-7
Buy It Here: Jesse Owens (Little People, BIG DREAMS) ($9)
3 G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet
What It's About: "From the first games held in ancient Greece to the cultural extravaganzas of recent years, there have been some incredible and amazing events and milestones in the world of Olympic sports. Now in G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet, writer Brad Herzog showcases those athletes and events that not only set sports records but also impacted history and world views. Learn the meaning behind the five interlocking rings featured on the Olympic flag. Cheer on American Jim Thorpe as he won the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, only to lose his medals later. Read how the man dubbed as the 'world's laziest high jumper' won the gold in 1968 and later had a jump named after him."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-7
Buy It Here: G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet ($16)
4 She's Got This
What It's About: "Even Olympians have to start somewhere. And in this charming illustrated book, Laurie Hernandez tells the story of Zoe, a little girl who dreams of flying—and becoming a gymnast.
When Zoe sees a gymnast on TV, she realises that gymnastics is just like flying. But when she first goes to class and falls off the balance beam, she discovers that following her dreams is harder and scarier than she thought."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-8
Buy It Here: She's Got This ($11)
5 How to Train with a T. Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals
What It's About: "What does it take to win eight gold medals? Napping away three summer holidays? Eating enough broccoli to fill the back of a pickup truck? Swimming the length of the Great Wall of China three times?"
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-8
Buy It Here: How to Train with a T. Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals ($20)
6 Olympig!
What It's About: "Boomer the Pig has been training hard for the Animal Olympics, so when he loses his first race, he shrugs it off and cheerfully moves on. One event after another, Boomer keeps losing, and the frustration begins to get to him. But even after coming in last in every sport, there's no getting this Olympig down. It's just great practice for the Winter Games! This encourageing and hilarious story is for every kid who's ever been told 'you can't win 'em all.'"
Ages It's Best Suited For: 5-8
Buy It Here: Olympig! ($9)
7 Wilma Rudolph (Little People, BIG DREAMS)
What It's About: "Wilma was born into a family with 22 brothers and sisters, in the segregated South. She contracted polio in her early years and her doctors said she would never walk again. But Wilma persisted with treatment, and she recovered her strength by the age of 12. At school, Wilma showed a talent for basketball and sprinting, earning the nickname "Skeeter" (mosquito) as she ran so fast. Wilma was in college when she went to the 1960 Olympics. She not only won gold in sprint events, but also broke world records with her sprinting skill. She had beaten polio to become an Olympic champion. She is a huge inspiration to many women in sports around the world. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the athlete's life."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-7
Buy It Here: Wilma Rudolph (Little People, BIG DREAMS) ($7)
8 Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles
What It's About: "Before she was a record-breaking gymnast competing on the world stage, Simone Biles spent time in foster care as a young child. Nimble and boundlessly energetic, she cherished every playground and each new backyard.
When she was six years old, Simone's family took shape in a different way. Her grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles adopted Simone and her sister Adria. Ron and Nellie became their parents. Simone was also introduced to gymnastics that same year, launching a lifelong passion fuelled by remarkable talent, sacrifice, and the undying support of her family."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-8
Buy It Here: Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles ($15)
9 Snowman Paul Returns to the Winter Olympics
What It's About: "Everything is about to change when Snowman Paul gets an invitation to serve as a referee at the fast approaching Winter Olympic Games! Will this sudden opportunity to bask in Olympic glory spoil Snowman Paul's special friendship with Dan and all the other kids?"
Ages It's Best Suited For: 3-8
Buy It Here: Snowman Paul Returns to the Winter Olympics ($10)
10 Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper
What It's About: "Bare feet shouldn't fly. Long legs shouldn't spin. Braids shouldn't flap in the wind. 'Sit on the porch and be a lady,' Papa scolded Alice. In Alice's Georgia hometown, there was no track where an African-American girl could practice, so she made her own crossbar with sticks and rags. With the support of her coach, friends, and community, Alice started to win medals. Her dream to compete at the Olympics came true in 1948. This is an inspiring free-verse story of the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-8
Buy It Here: Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper ($17)
11 Curious George and the Summer Games
What It's About: "Every year, the town has a Summer Games field day, and George wants to join in on the fun, especially if the prize is a medal! But what is the perfect Summer Games event for a little monkey? When George finds a sport that he loves and is a natural at, he must practice, practice, practice. With some teamwork and cheering on the contestants, George is ready to make this the best Summer Games!"
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-7
Buy It Here: Curious George and the Summer Games ($5)
12 All About the Olympic Games
What It's About: "All About the Olympic Games is a great new book to get kids excited about the Olympic Games while learning about the customs and traditions of the Games!
Learn about the history of the Olympic Games in this full-colour book bursting with information to get kids ready to enjoy the Games."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 3-5
Buy It Here: All About the Olympic Games ($10)
13 The Story of Simone Biles
What It's About: "Simone Biles has been called the greatest gymnast of all time, winning five Olympic and 25 World Champion medals by age 22. Before she wowed the world with her incredible gymnastics skills, Simone was an energetic young girl who dreamed of becoming a top gymnast. She trained for hours every day and made many sacrifices to pursue her goals. Explore how Simone Biles went from being a kid growing up in Texas to an Olympic athlete who has won more gymnastics medals than anyone in history."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 6-9
Buy It Here: The Story of Simone Biles ($7)
14 What Are the Summer Olympics?
What It's About: "Back in 775 BC, athletes from all over Ancient Greece came together to compete in various games. The contests were held every four years and winning athletes brought honour and respect to their homelands.
The tradition of the Olympic Games faded over time until 1896, when they were brought back to life. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, with over two hundred athletes from fourteen countries. Today, nearly three thousand years after the first Games, the Summer Olympics attract one hundred thousand top athletes from over two hundred countries. Billions of fans around the world cheer on their national teams to bring back the gold."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 7-12
Buy It Here: What Are the Summer Olympics? ($6)
15 Lake Placid Miracle: When U.S. Hockey Stunned the World
What It's About: "In 1980 the Soviet Union had dominated the world of hockey for nearly 30 years. Nobody thought the USSR's hockey team could be beaten in the Winter Olympics. But US Hockey coach Herb Brooks didn't believe that. He pulled together a ragtag team of amateur hockey players and molded them into a team that could compete with the best teams in the world. Through months of hard work and determination, the US team achieved the impossible and defeated the dreaded Soviets. Readers will get a thrilling up-close look at the story of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team and their miraculous victory in Lake Placid, New York."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 8 and up
Buy It Here: Lake Placid Miracle: When U.S. Hockey Stunned the World ($8)
16 The Story of the Olympic Games
What It's About: "The Olympic games are the world's greatest global sporting spectacle. This stunningly illustrated official history, written especially for children, charts the events from its origins in ancient Greece to its revival in 1896 and the 27 subsequent competitions. In addition to pages packed with exclusive photographs of the gripping action, legendary athletes, and artifacts that have defined each game, the book covers short-lived sports, groundbreaking firsts, fun fast facts, and much more."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 8 and up
Buy It Here: The Story of the Olympic Games ($23)
17 Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman
What It's About: "Before Wilma Rudolph was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg. Everyone said she would never walk again. But Wilma refused to believe it. Not only would she walk again, she vowed, she'd run. And she did run—all the way to the Olympics, where she became the first American woman to earn three gold medals in a single Olympiad. This dramatic and inspiring true story is illustrated in bold watercolor and acrylic paintings."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-7
Buy It Here: Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman ($8)
18 Who Was Jesse Owens?
What It's About: "At the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, track and field star Jesse Owens ran himself straight into international glory by winning four gold medals. But the life of Jesse Owens is much more than a sports story. Born in rural Alabama under the oppressive Jim Crow laws, Owens's family suffered many hardships. As a boy he worked several jobs like delivering groceries and working in a shoe repair shop to make ends meet. But Owens defied the odds to become a sensational student athlete, eventually running track for Ohio State. He was chosen to compete in the Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany where Adolf Hitler was promoting the idea of "Aryan superiority." Owens's winning streak at the games humiliated Hitler and crushed the myth of racial supremacy once and for all."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 8-12
Buy It Here: Who Was Jesse Owens? ($6)
19 Unbeatable Betty: Betty Robinson, the First Female Olympic Track & Field Gold Medalist
What It's About: "At only sixteen years old, Betty Robinson became the first female gold medalist in track and field in the 1928 Olympics and an overnight sensation. She was set for gold again and had her eyes on the 1932 Olympics.
Her plans changed forever when a horrible plane crash left her in a wheelchair, with one leg shorter than the other. But Betty didn't let that stop her. In less than five years, she relearned how to stand, to walk, and finally to run again and try to taste gold once more in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin."
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-8
Buy It Here: Unbeatable Betty: Betty Robinson, the First Female Olympic Track & Field Gold Medalist ($16)
20 Dream Big: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Excellence
What It's About: "Long before he became a professional All-Star basketball player, Michael Jordan had dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal—and with dedication and perseverance, that's exactly what he did. This heartwarming picture book, written by Michael's mother and illustrated by Barry Root, gives a rare glimpse into a sports hero's childhood and emphasises the role that good values play in success. "
Ages It's Best Suited For: 4-8
Buy It Here: Dream Big: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Excellence ($9)
