Crossing the Finish Line
by Thushanthi Ponweera; illus. by Maithili Joshi
Primary    Union Square    40 pp.
6/25    9781454950189    $18.99

Ranatunge Karunananda (1936–1974), known as Karu, was the only runner among the six athletes representing Sri Lanka in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In “the biggest stadium he [had] ever seen,” he lined up on the track, fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming an elite athlete. He fell behind early in the race but worked hard to catch up, finishing…last, and well behind the next-slowest runner. While the victors celebrated their wins, Karu could have stopped—other runners did—but he continued his twenty-five laps until he had finished the full 10,000 meters, crossing the finish line to resounding cheers. It’s not often that a book honors coming in last, but this one does, for the book is not titled Winning the Race but rather Crossing the Finish Line, and that Karu achieves. His inspiring story is about taking part, persisting, and feeling pride. Ponweera, who is also from Sri Lanka, takes the story of Karu and brings it, with illustrator Joshi, to beautiful life. The text starts with very simple sentences but gains pace, along with the race. Interspersed with his memories and observations, the counting of laps (“Thirteen. / Fourteen. / Fifteen”) lends urgency to Karu’s goal. A bright palette of green, yellow, orange, maroon, and gold serves as an homage to the Sri Lankan flag, indicating Karu’s sense of responsibility to his country. A fine read-aloud with an important message.

From the September/October 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.