We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Bibliography:

Nelson, Kadir. 2008. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York: Hyperion. ISBN: 0786808322.



Summary:

In the early days of baseball, African-American players were not allowed on the white teams, so they formed their own league. This book is their story. The league officially began in 1920, although teams were playing long before that. Players endured a lot of hardship on the field and on the road, from name-calling to segregation that wouldn’t allow them a place to eat or sleep. The book covers team owners, all-star players, and some of the peculiarities of Negro baseball. There are chapters on playing in Latin America and on playing against white teams. Some white owners tried to pass off black players as Cuban or Native American, but integration didn’t really begin until Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers in 1945.

Analysis:

The illustrations really make this book. They are paintings that take up the whole of a large page, or often a two page spread or a fold-out. Some of Nelson’s individual paintings from this book have been shown in museums. They are full of color and really capture the emotion on players’ faces and the excitement of the ball game. The text is beautiful as well; as Nelson says in an author’s note, the narrator is a collective “we,” honoring all the players in the Negro leagues. This book celebrates their achievements and their strength, and gives readers a chance to hear about all-star players that never made it to the major leagues. It’s organized into nine “innings,” each chapter covering another aspect of playing in the league. Extra material and a bibliography are in the back. For readers in grade 5 and up.

Reviews/Awards:

Sibert Medal
Coretta Scott King Award

“Nelson’s extensive research (including interviews with former players) yields loads of attention-grabbing details: how much money players made; where, when, and how often games took place; who the standout owners, managers, and players were; and so on. And not surprisingly, he often returns to the impact of racism on the leagues, teams, and individual athletes. His grand slam, though, is the art: Nelson’s oil paintings have a steely dignity, and his from-the-ground perspectives make the players look larger than life.”
Horn Book, starred review

“A gatefold depicting the first “Colored World Series” is particularly exquisite—a replica ticket opens from the gutter to reveal the entire line-ups of both teams. And while this large, square book (just a shade smaller than a regulation-size base) succeeds as coffee-table art, it soars as a tribute to the individuals, like the legendary Josh Gibson, who was ultimately elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame without ever playing in the major leagues. As Nelson's narrator says, “We had many Josh Gibsons in the Negro Leagues.... But you never heard about them. It's a shame the world didn’t get to see them play.””
Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

Connections:
*Read other books illustrated by Nelson, such as Testing the Ice: A True Story about Jackie Robinson.