Nelson, Kadir. 2008. We Are The Ship- The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York: Jump the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN: 0-7868-0832-2
The story about the Negro Baseball League, its development, its formation and its players and heroes.
Nelson's social historical informational book about Negro baseball is visually stimulating, with his paintings from actual photographs. Commenting on the social climate and racism of the time, Nelson, depicts the unsung heroes and the league of the early days a baseball. Due to segregation, most players were "lost" and not mentioned in history. In keeping with the theme of baseball, the "chapters" of the book are entitled "Innings". For example, the first chapter is "1st Inning-Beginnings" and the last chapter is, of course, "9th Inning". The epilogue is titled "Extra Innings". The illustrations add to the remarkable design of the book, engrossing the reader into the passion of Nelson on this subject. Hank Aaron, former Negro baseball player, himslef and Hall of Famer, wrote the Foreword. The books reads like you are reading fiction-like story but filled with facts, scenes and information of the Negro League. It doesn't read not like a boring non-fiction book.
The greatest strength of We Are... are the exquisite illustrations painted by Nelson himself. Photographs from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum were created into portraits and used in the book. We Are... won the Coretta Scott King Award, the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award and the Sibert Medal. One reviewer wrote: "Social studies teachers and baseball fans of all ages will covet this delightful winner of the 2009 Coretta Scott King author award and illustrator Honor award.—Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK for School Library Journal. Ian Chipman for Booklist wrote: "With enormous blue skies and jam-packed grandstands backing them, these players look like the giants they are."
At the end of the book, Nelson includes an Author's Note page, Acknowledgements, Bibliography, a filmography and End Notes for accuracy and citations.
Between the title page and the Foreword, there are quotes from the players. My favorite one reads: "Baseball got me outta that celery field."- John Jordon "Buck" O'Neil, first baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs.
The greatest strength of We Are... are the exquisite illustrations painted by Nelson himself. Photographs from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum were created into portraits and used in the book. We Are... won the Coretta Scott King Award, the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award and the Sibert Medal. One reviewer wrote: "Social studies teachers and baseball fans of all ages will covet this delightful winner of the 2009 Coretta Scott King author award and illustrator Honor award.—Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK for School Library Journal. Ian Chipman for Booklist wrote: "With enormous blue skies and jam-packed grandstands backing them, these players look like the giants they are."
At the end of the book, Nelson includes an Author's Note page, Acknowledgements, Bibliography, a filmography and End Notes for accuracy and citations.
Between the title page and the Foreword, there are quotes from the players. My favorite one reads: "Baseball got me outta that celery field."- John Jordon "Buck" O'Neil, first baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs.
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