BARTALI'S BICYCLE

Author Megan Hoyt and illustrator Iacopo Bruno beautifully deliver the inspiring, true story of Gino Bartali, a beloved Italian cyclist, a humble man, and a secret champion in the fight for human rights during WWII and the Holocaust.

Gino Bartali pedaled across Italy for years, winning one cycling race after another. And when he won the 1938 Tour de France, his picture was featured on the front pages of many newspapers. Gino became an international sports hero! But the next year, the Second World War began, and everything changed.

Soldiers marched into Italy. Tanks rolled down the cobbled streets of Florence. And powerful leaders declared that Jewish people should be arrested. To the entire world, Gino Bartali was nothing more than a champion cyclist. But Gino's greatest achievement was something he kept secret. Only upon his death was the truth uncovered - that he secretly worked with the Italian Resistance to save more than 800 Jewish men, women, and children from certain death, using the one thing no authority would ever question - his bicycle.

Bartali's Bicycle is Megan Hoyt's debut picture book biography. She's written one other picture book for a small religious press. When Megan is not writing, she is tutoring child actors on set for Disney, Warner Bros., Showtime, and Cinemax, among others. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Iacopo Bruno is a graphic designer and illustrator. He has illustrated the acclaimed books Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France and Anything But Ordinary Addie, both by Mara Rockliff, as well as Sergeant Reckless by Patricia McCormick. He lives and works in Milan, Italy, with his wife.