Marvelous Mabel

After watching ice skaters at a rink in Central Park, Mabel Fairbanks was determined to learn to skate. But in the 1930s, many places didn’t allow Black skaters, so Mabel practiced on a homemade rink in her bedroom! It wasn’t long before Mabel needed more room to practice, and she returned to one of the rinks that turned her away. This time she refused to take no for an answer, and her trailblazing talent continues to influence the sport today. Written and illustrated with warmth and spirit, this is the true story of how Mabel Fairbanks’s determination and grit led her to become America’s first black skating superstar.