Billie Jean! How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women's Sports, by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley. G.P. Putnam's Sons, Penguin Random House. 2019. $23.99 ages 7 and up

"The match didn't last long. Even Billie Jean was surprised. Not only had she won, she'd done it in just two sets. She was going to the nationals - all the way across the country in Ohio! But she couldn't go alone, Mr. Jones said. GIRLS had to have a chaperone."

It would have come as no surprise to those who loved Billie Jean  King, and admired her tenacity even as a very young girl, that she would make a name for herself in whatever field she chose to pursue.

When her father took her to a ball game and she realized that she could not play the sport she loved, her parents suggested she try tennis. After all, girls at the time did play tennis. She did not know the game. That did not deter her from learning about it, and getting better at playing it. She was disheartened when what she wore was more important than how she played.

The struggles she faced while trying to make a name for herself in the tennis world were discouraging, to say the least. She worked harder than everyone else, and she was soon good enough to go to a national competition. She was an outstanding player in high school, and went to Wimbledon to play. It made little difference in her bid to be recognized, and offered no scholarships for further schooling. 

When she won at Wimbledon five years later, reporters asked inane questions about her hair, her future as a mother, and her jewellery - never a question about her game. Paid less than men, and watching those numbers continually dwindle, Billie Jean made a decision to force people to sit up and take notice. An all women's tour did little to stop the silly questions; it did encourage many young fans to emulate her remarkable play.

Even after winning three top tournaments in one year and being named Sportswoman of the Year, she had to prove herself once again. In a match against Bobby Riggs, who spouted the belief that men could beat women at 'everything', Billie Jean proved him wrong. Her patience, perseverance, and powerful play proved a point, and made people take notice - finally.

An author's note chronicles Billie Jean's life, her activism, her stand on equal rights for women in a field dominated by men, and her fight for gay rights. A selected resources list offers titles for further study.

Elizabeth Baddeley's ink, watercolor, acrylic and digital artwork brings readers onto the tennis court, and shows them the determination that made Billie Jean King a force to be reckoned with in the fight for equality for women. Women playing sports today owe her a debt of gratitude.