Martina and Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports

by Phil Bildner, Brett Helquist (Illustrator)

A fascinating dual biography of tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert celebrates the power of equality, respect, and sportsmanship.

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert come from completely different places and play tennis in completely different ways. Chrissie is the all-American girl: practiced, poised, with perfect technique. Martina hails from Czechoslovakia, a Communist country, and her game is ruled by emotion. Everything about them is different, except one thing: they both want to be the best. But as their intense rivalry grows, something else begins to swing into place, and a friendship forms that will outlast all their tennis victories. Phil Bildner and Brett Helquist tell the engaging true story of these two masters of the court as they win title after title -- and, most importantly, the hearts of the fans.

Genres: Picture Books, Sports, Biography, Nonfiction, Friendship, History, Childrens

40 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2017

About the author

Phil Bildner is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for kids. His latest book is the groundbreaking, #OwnVoices middle grade novel, A High Five for Glenn Burke. He is the author of many children’s picture books including the Margaret Wise Brown Prize winning Marvelous Cornelius, the Texas Bluebonnet Award winning Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy, Martina & Chrissie, Twenty-One Elephants, and The Soccer Fence. Phil is also the author of A Whole New Ballgame, Rookie of the Year, Tournament of Champions, and Most Valuable Players in the critically acclaimed middle grade Rip & Red series.

Phil grew up in Jericho, New York, a Long Island suburb of New York City. He studied political science at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland and then attended law school at New York University School of Law. After passing the bar in New York and New Jersey, Phil worked as an associate at a large Manhattan law firm, but he quickly realized the legal profession wasn’t for him. So he followed his heart and went back to school, earning a master’s degree in early childhood and elementary education from Long Island University.

For eleven years, Phil taught in the New York City Public Schools. Teaching fifth and sixth grade in the Tremont section of the Bronx in the 1990s, he built an innovative ELA curriculum around song lyrics and music. Dave Matthews, Barenaked Ladies, Blues Traveler, Lauryn Hill, and Wyclef Jean all visited his classroom. Teaching middle school English and American History in Manhattan in the 2000s, Phil continued to integrate music and the arts into his curriculum, working with the Lincoln Center Institute, Broadway shows (Wicked, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), and Off-Broadway shows (Def Poetry Jam, De la Guarda).

After leaving the classroom to write full time, Phil began chaperoning student-volunteer trips to New Orleans to help in the post-Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. He founded The NOLA Tree, a non-profit youth service organization and served as the co-Executive Director.

These days, Phil lives in Newburgh, New York with his husband in a two hundred year old farmhouse. Most of the time, you’ll find him out in the yard playing with his dog named Kat or writing on the back porch (aka, his office) overlooking the Hudson River.

Reviews

[Beth]

Phil Bildner writes about the rivalry between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert with the enthusiasm of the sports lover that he is. This book reads in a conversational way that makes you feel like you're talking to your friends around the watercooler instead of reading a picture book biography.

This book also has the added benefit of having a demonstrable thesis statement to show students as an example of what it means to make a thesis and then support your argument. The thesis being this:

"...these two women formed the greatest rivalry in the history of sports. No, not the history of women's sports -- the history of ALL sports."

[Jasmine]

Sports!

[KC]

A lengthy and wordy account of one the most beloved and well known tennis rivalry.

[Ben Truong]

Martina & Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports is a children's picture book written by Phil Bildner and illustrated by Brett Helquist. It introduces readers to tennis greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

Martina Navratilova is a Czechoslovakian and American former professional tennis player and coach, widely considered among the greatest tennis players of all time. Christine Marie Evert is an American former world No. 1 tennis player.

Bildner's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Bildner's conversational narrative creates an instant bond with readers. Backmatter includes an author's note and bibliography. Helquist deploys a series of play-by-play action scenes that capture the speed and intensity of their many tennis matches.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It depicts the rivalry between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. However, just as important as their competition was the unexpected bond the two women formed off the court. In total, the played each other eighty times with Navratilova won forty-three times. The narrative describes the rivalry would have been enough to show how great it was, without trying to convince readers when there are no points of comparison to others.

All in all, Martina & Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports is a solid introduction to the rivalry between tennis sensations: Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

[Melissa]

Love the illustrations and am awfully glad the most dynamic sports rivalry of my childhood has space on the shelves. High energy colloquial text does a good job selling the story. I wish there had been a sentence or two that provided more of a rational for why this is the greatest sport rivalry of all time. We get lots of statistics about the two women’s dominance of the sport, but I could have used one explicit sentence that said something like ‘No other pair of rivals dominated their sport for as long, were so evenly matched and captured the imagination of the viewing public. Chrissie and Martina’s dynamic rivalry changed the way the American public thought about women’s sports and women as competitors.’

[Erin Buhr]

I love this book. I can't explain why but it makes me cry. These women are just so tough and inspiring. I love the way this story is told in a conversational tone. It engages you as the audience or reader in a way that other tones would not. It also gives it a lively, fun tone. This isn't a book just for tennis fans but it's definitely one that tennis players MUST read.

[Amy Pickett]

An enjoyable, colorful picture book biography about the greatest rivalry in the history of sports (no, not just the history of women's sports - ALL sports!). A great choice for Women's History Month, which is coming up in March of 2020!

[Kristen Watts]

A great story about two famous tennis players and a even greater lesson on how rivals can still be friends.

[Spencer Messinger]

I like this book because it shows a lesson, if you are rivals you don't always have to be enemies.

[Nikki]

I have been reading a lot of picture book biographies, and let me tell you, they can be a bit sleepy. Not this one. This one is like a double shot of espresso. The informal tone of the text makes it seem like a conversation and there is just the perfect amount of sassiness to keep the reader engaged. Bildner does an excellent job in explaining why their rivalry was so magical (and wasn't just about who won the most matches) and why their friendship was a crucial part of that rivalry. This would be SO MUCH FUN to read aloud and I think would lead to a great discussion on healthy competition.

[Nadine]

#rivalry #sports #biography - this book had excellent reviews and since I'm trying to increase my biographies for young children I got it. There were a number of things I didn't like about this book. The tone - kind of chatty, coachy aggressive was the worst of them. Then there was this horrendous "land of the free" sub-text that was cringeworthy - "But Martina was from Czechoslovakia, a communist country. In communist countries, you weren't free. Not like America, not at all" ... "The Cold War was when the two greatest powers on the planet - the Unite States, a free country, and the Soviet Union, a Communist country - were locked in a standoff" - just too simplistic, and not necessary to the story.

[Angela]

I am not a fan of Tennis (sorry!) but I LOVE this book. It's got ALL the angles. Highly recommended for schools, tennis fans, women's history, sports history and especially those of us who NADDA about this rivalry.

[Renee]

The good: Loved the language of the book. It really brought to life this sports rivalry, and made it feel pressing and important and exciting--which is a feat, given how little I care about sports. Phil Bildner gives the text a verve and beat reminiscent the whack of a tennis ball on a racket, and Brett Helquist is as brilliant as ever.

The Bad: Gung-ho patriotism that made me gag. Starts off by describing Chris Everts as "an All American Girl" (Ie, white, rich, skinny, and blonde), and later says "But Martina was from Czechoslovakia, a Communist country. In communist countries, you weren't free. Not like America, not at all." Give me a break, PHIL. Who exactly is America "free" for, pray tell? Let me enjoy my sportsball without your jingoistic retelling of American history in the 70s and 80s.

The Ugly: Personal lives aren't talked about a lot, but even in the liner notes it doesn't mention that Martina Navratilova was queer--A fact that she was desperate to hide from the American government for fear of being denied citizenship and deported from "the land of the free"

[Jessie]

This is a good overview of the rivalry between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. It talks about their different styles of playing, what made their rivalry great, and some key matches between them. It really emphasizes their friendship.

This is told in a very casual, chatty tone, and that seems to resonate with some people and alienate others. I mostly liked it, though it does assume an audience unfamiliar with the subject matter.

The treatment of the Cold War wasn't great. It includes some of what was relevant (and I do think it is relevant here), but it focuses on the US as free and Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union as not free without any explanation of what that meant for Martina, her family, her training, etc. The timeline at the end mentions her defection, but the text doesn't at all. There's a spot where it feels like it should be, but then some of the information about the Cold War is *after* that, so I'm not sure.

[Gary Anderson]

I admire how Phil Bildner’s text assumes that most young readers today do not know about Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, a fair assumption, even though those of us who are just a bit older clearly remember Chrissie and Martina. (I saw them play in the 1983 Virginia Slims of Dallas tournament. Although I saw them face other opponents in preliminary rounds, they would go on to meet in the finals.) As Bildner and artist Brett Helquist make the case for their rivalry being the greatest “in the history of sports,” Martina and Chrissie touches on issues of character and friendship, as well as the Cold War. The tone of the book is enthusiastically conversational, but overly repetitive use of two devices--boldface and repeating phrases with individual words as sentences (“Won. The. Match.”)--seems condescending to readers. Well-chosen words, inherently dramatic situations, and compelling artwork can convey emphasis at least as well as those self-conscious devices.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*]

Bildner, Phil Martina and Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports Illustrated by Brett Helquist PICTURE BOOK Candlewick Press, 2017. $16.99 Content: G.

Chris Evert was an outstanding tennis champion from the United States. Martina Navratilova was also a great tennis champion but she was from the Soviet Union. They were great tennis rivals during the Cold War and although the world thought they should hate each other they were actually really good friends.

This book reads like someone is talking to you, for example: “You do know what the Cold War was, right? No?” and then it goes on to explain it. The story has suspense and action with the tennis matches and it also has heart and friendship. This is a fun sports history.

EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Reviewer, C. Peterson.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...

[Christina Getrost]

Gorgeously illustrated (Brett Helquist is one of my all-time favorite illustrators) story of the professional rivalry and personal friendship between tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chrissie Evert. The pictures are big bold dramatic closeups in beautiful color, with action-cutaways, and the text is written in a fun informal style: "Hey guys--yeah I'm talking to you." "You know who they are, right? No?...you NEED to know about Martina and Chrissie." The book gives a brief background of their childhoods, explaining the Cold War and Martina's defection, focusing mostly on their rivalry and friendship. There are some exciting descriptions of their best tennis matches; a timeline gives more details, including when they retired from the sport, how they're still friends today and support each other's charities and causes. I love the way the book ends with a final image of them hugging and smiling--they made each other better players.

[Becky B]

A picture book biography of tennis women's greats Martina Navratilova and Chrissie Evert, who were epic rivals but also good friends.

I kinda wish this book had touched a little on how tennis is scored. I doubt many of the target age group will understand the tennis terms or what the match numbers mean. After decades of seeing Brett Helquist's illustrations only in tongue-in-cheek fiction books I found myself having a really hard time taking the book seriously. I mean, Helquist illustrations have come to equal Snicket characters. I keep expecting the Baudelaires to pop out and expose the tennis players true dark motives. I did really like the way the book emphasized how though the women were tough competitors and others didn't think they should be friends, they didn't let that stop them. I think it is important for kids to realize that competitor doesn't equal enemy. It is a good biography of two women athletes with an important message despite my little hangups with it.

[Sandy Brehl]

This remarkable dual-biography of remarkable sports figures and the ways their lives engaged and strengthened each other is also a uniquely powerful mentor text for voice. specifically, the direct address to young readers begins even before the title page with a conversationally-pitched address, challenging and insisting to them that these are two lives they really MUST know about- and why.
Throughout, the direct-address voice is both casual and indromative segues been the two women's lives at various stages, as well as stepping asside for a brief instructional on the COold War and why it played such a massive part in the lives of these two women.

The back matter is quite helpful, too, and the combined success of these global sports champions and lifelong friends is breathtaking.

Don't miss this one, for both boy and girl readers, for sports loveers and sports-tepid folks. These are lives that really m psst be met and celebrated.

[Susie]

I wonder how many of the matches between Martina and Chrissie I watched... many, many of them, especially the grand slam tournaments. It seemed fitting that I read this during the US Open. A few things bugged me about this. First of all, I don't believe it has been the greatest rivalry of all time. The tone seemed just a bit condescending to me. And, why can authors and editors get it right?? Martina would have been hitting against a concrete wall, not a cement wall.

I'm sure this will be of interest to students who play tennis, and I hope other students as well. I think the book is remiss in not mentioning that Chris Evert is a very frequent commentator on televised tennis. It might mean more to students to know that they could easily see and hear her now.

I do enjoy it when history can be woven into a story.

[John Mullarkey]

The rivalry between two great competitors is chronicled in this excellent picture book by Phil Bidner (who has written other books on unique sports topics). The 70’s was a great time to be a tennis fan as some of the greatest players of the day always seemed to face each other in major tournaments - Chris Everett and Martina Navratilova being two of them. The story here is about both players' very different backgrounds and playing styles, but also about the friendship that existed between the two women that endures to this day. It is a fine example of class and sportsmanship. The easy style of Binders writing makes it a great introduction to both players for even the youngest sports or tennis fan - and Brett Helquist’s artwork as always compliments the text wonderfully! Just as the back cover says: Yeah, you really need to know about Martina and Chrissie!

[Jj]

I am not much into tennis, professional athletes, or rivalry.... but nonetheless was excited to see this title come out and wanted to read it right away when it came to the library. I love the idea of the relationship between the two women and the illustrations are well-suited to the topics involved, but something about the tone is just wrong to me. It's too aggressive and too familiar to my liking. It feels like a coach yelling at the reader. For kids who are already into sports and/or rivalry, maybe that's okay... but as a reader who is (and never has been) into either one but still intrigued by this title and subject matter, I found it disenchanting. I just wish that the fantastic, multifaceted story which is at the heart of this book had been told with a different approach.

[Holly Mueller]

I enjoyed this biography about tennis greats, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. I was never a big tennis fan, but I do remember snippets of their accomplishments throughout my childhood. I like author Bildner's lively and conversational narration, and illustrator Brett Helquist's fierce, athletic depictions of the women. I didn't know that much about their friendship and was glad that, despite a brief time of rivalry because of Martina's coach's philosophies about friendship and opponents, they reunited. Their relationship reminds me of today's Williams sisters. My only disappointment was that I would have loved some real photos of the two in the back matter.

[Alice]

As a big tennis fan this was fun to read! I liked the pictures and..gained a little respect for each of the players I didn't already have. I know of them, they 'are
legends, but I didn't get interested in Tennis until the Mid 1990s so their heydays were before my time (and of course this book is written to kids who don't even have a clue who they are !) I have heard Chrissie as a commentator on ESPN and Martina shows up for interviews or commentary on TV during tennis tournaments so this was cool to see them in a new light!

[Kaitlin Howard]

I did not know who Martina and Chrissie were before reading this book. Maybe a bit simple for anyone who does know who they are. I felt like I was sitting in a comfy chair hearing someone tell me a story with the conversational tone of this book. I enjoyed the tidbits of history and brief explanations for younger readers who may not have heard of the Cold War. I liked the timeline at the end and lots of resources at the end. I think the history could have been brought to life more with some photographs from the times.

[Marcia]

What did I like about this book? The illustrations are great--very appealing and bring the material to life. The focus on two outstanding female athletes. The story of competition and the strive to improve. What didn't I like? The. Annoying. Writing. That's ok in a text from a friend, but I found it hyperbolic and condescending. I also don't think it was the greatest rivalry in sports (I'm biased-Red Sox/ Yankees?)
Overall, an enjoyable read and a good introduction to two tennis legends, as well as the Cold War.

[Patricia]

Chrissie and Martina's long lived rivalry is laid out in this book which I liked better the first time I read it, but the second time, the direct address to the guys really cloyed. A tad over written, and yet omitting key details about the subjects' lives, for instance, when they were born, and what they are doing now, and if there were any other rivalries like theirs. Still, it is good to have these two great women players get a full treatment, with terrific back matter that points toward the matches that have gone down in history.

[Katie Lalor]

There are many reasons why I really enjoyed this book! The author used great word choice and figurative language, and formatted words creatively, which the illustrator helps show. The true story is interesting enough to be told over and over again. This book also includes many numbers that the teacher can refer to for number talks. Most importantly, this teaches everyone a great life lesson especially in this competitive driven world.

[Laura Giessler]

I always like learning about people in picture book bios, but this one left me wanting more--more specific details, more anecdotes, some photos of the real life people. I didn't care for the conversational tone, although it seems it was the author's attempt to establish voice--speaking directly to readers, calling us "guys" ("but guys..."). The author (over) used devices like repetition ("perfect, perfect", "automatic, automatic") and Periods. For. Emphasis. Not my favorite.

[SLoMoe]

enjoyed the recount of this rivalry, but the manner it was written made this less effective than it could have been. the book is written so that the author is almost talking to the reader....or acting as an announcer? i'm not sure it worked for this book as a read aloud. I also thought the author assumed the reader knew more about tennis and the scoring. some of the phenomenal facts given about match points and sets were less powerful to my children who don't know much about the sport.