What a powerful story! I loved the way the story began with a letter from Fauja himself. This story follows Fauja starting when he was a young boy who struggled to learn to walk, to learning to farming, to raising children of his own and traveling away from his home at age 80! The story then continues with him as an older man training to run in England where he moved to be near his children. He then signs up for a marathon to challenge himself and push himself even further. This story is one of perseverance, strength and believing in yourself. Only you can limit yourself. What a great message and life story to share with children. ( )

This is a fun and inspiring book teaching perseverance, courage, and a desire to change oneself and the world! Base on the true story of Fauja Sing, a Sikh and the oldest person to run a marathon. He was born not being able to walk, but his grandmother gave him great advice he remembered his whole life to about doing your best. We learn how he starts to walk and play as a child, then raises a family and tells his own children to do their best each day. When his wife dies and he has to move in with his children he becomes very depressed. Watching TV, he see's runners on a marathon smiling and decided to try it himself. He made friends along the way and competed the London Marathon at age 89. In an attempt to bring a good name to Sikh's in the United States, he decides to run the biggest race in New Your City! I will not give the ending away, there is a twist BUT the book ends with a real picture of Fauja and his statistics.

An inspiring tale of the the oldest man to ever complete a full marathon. A man who didn't let the naysayers get him down. A man who refused to let his slow start get in his way. Stories such as these need to be documented and shared.

Yeah I'll never run in a marathon and I'm thirty. So to do it at 100....BRAVO Fauja Singh! ( )

American author Simran Jeet Singh and British illustrator Baljinder Kaur tell the story of Fauja Singh, the Sikh farmer and elder who became one of the few to run a marathon while over one hundred years old, in this engaging picture-book biography. Born in the Punjab around 1911 - birth certificates were not issued in India at that time, making this an estimate - Fauja was unable to walk in his early years, due to a mysterious and never-diagnosed ailment. With his mother encouraging him every day, he slowly worked on building up his strength, eventually doing what no on thought possible: walking on his own. He went on to become a farmer, and to raise a family. At the age of eighty-one, having joined one of his children in the UK, he decided to start running, eventually training for the marathon. Through his running he found personal purpose, and also inspired others. When he heard of Sikhs being attacked in the United States, following the events of 9/11, he entered into the New York Marathon, as a means of showing solidarity. In the end, he hoped that his example would show children and adults that it was possible to persevere, no matter the challenge...

Informative and inspiring, Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon is an excellent biography for younger children, imparting important lessons about courage, perseverance and compassion, while demonstrating that age is no limitation, if a person really wants to do something, and gives it their best. I had never heard of Singh before picking up this book, and am glad to have that gap in my knowledge rectified. The narrative here is engaging, and often emotionally involving, leaving me impressed that it was author Simran Jeet Singh's debut. Hopefully he will write more children's books! The artwork from Baljinder Kaur, created digitally using hand drawings and collage pieces, is lovely. I particularly liked the depiction of the elderly Singh, with news cameras stuck in his face, speaking with the media. The inclusion of a brief foreword from Fauja Singh himself, encouraging the reader to do their best in life, and try their hardest to meet challenges head on, was wonderful. Highly recommended to all picture-book readers who enjoy biography, or stories of athletic accomplishment, as well as to those seeking stories featuring Sikh characters - something still too uncommon in the world of American children's books. ( )