Crossing the Finish Line

An inspiring nonfiction picture book about the courage and perseverance of 1964 Sri Lankan Olympian Ranatunge Karunananda, and the ways in which we define success.

Sri Lankan soldier Ranatunge Karunananda is the first runner to ever represent his country in the 10,000-meter race in the Olympic Games. Despite the lack of support and resources, Karu stands on the track in Japan, determined to represent Sri Lanka and his family well. As the race begins and the other runners lap Karu time and again, he presses on despite objections, winning not the race but the hearts of the 70,000-person crowd, and inspiring people across the world to stay steadfast in the race for their dreams.

Thushanthi Ponweera is a We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) 2021 mentee and a volunteer blogger for the same organization. She has written for print magazines in Sri Lanka and is engaging in an increasing amount of work as an authenticity reader for leading American publishers. She works tirelessly to promote diversity in children’s literature, including through her association with WNDB and SCBWI. Her previous publications include I Am Kavi andRainbow Bangles. She invites you to visit her online at thushanthiponweera.com.

Maithili Joshi is a South Asian illustrator and designer based in New York City. She grew up in Pune, and she was drawn to the art of book making from a young age. Since graduating from the School of Visual Arts, she has been working with various publishers to create illustrations for picture books, while also designing MG/YA novel covers with Scholastic, where she works full time. Her illustrated works include Rainbow Bangles by Thushanthi Ponweera, which was a JLG Gold Standard Selection. Maithili enjoys the sun, ice cream, and long city walks. She invites you to visit her online at maithiliart.com.