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Jul 09, 2008

Elizabeth rated it:

Rube Foster was the founder of the Negro National League. Said he of his men, "We are the ship: all else the sea." As long as there has been baseball in America there have been African-American ballplayers. Men like Sol White and Bud Fowler. Before Rube Foster, however, there was no organized professional league. Then, on February 20, 1920, Rube called together owners of black baseball teams, like himself, and the Negro National League began. Through the collective voice of the players More...

4 comments like (5 people liked it)

Apr 07, 2008

Abby rated it:

This beautifully illustrated book chronicles the rise and fall of Negro League Baseball. Full-page paintings give you a real look at some of the most talented baseball players of their time (and possibly of any time). The writing is also awesome. Using a collective "we", Kadir Nelson speaks with the voice of all Negro League players, like he's been there and seen everything that he talks about. He uses a very conversational tone, like you were sitting on the back porch with any one of More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 12, 2009

Lynn rated it:

I have always loved baseball and especially the stories about the early days of baseball. This book was a treat for me with all the fabulous stories about the Negro League. I haven't tested this on kids yet but I do wonder if it will be a bit difficult for most kids because of the many unfamilar names that are often listed. The illustrations are breath-taking! They make me think of WPA Depression era murals in their scale and power and I have looked at them over and over. Nelson, through his More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 10, 2009

Toby rated it:

An art book that would not be out of place on Michigan Avenue coffee tables, and yet We Are the Ship perfectly fits the CSK critera to portray some aspect of the African-American experience that "motivates readers to develop their own attitudes and behaviors as well as comprehend their personal duty and responsibility as citizens in a pluralistic
society."
Clearly, We Are the Ship was a labor of love, of years of research, with a friendly narrator designed to hold More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 18, 2009

Patricia rated it:

Okay, ready to be jealous? Kadir Nelson is here in Springfield at the Illinois Reading Council Conference. I spoke to him after his presentation on his art. He is soft spoken, as Junko knows, and incredibly talented with oils and ethical when it comes to authenticity in his works.

We Are the Ship

Sibert Award 2009

I went to one of Kadir Nelson’s sessions at IRC today. This very soft spoken man had us on the edge of our seats, moving in closer to get a glimpse o More...

6 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 18, 2008

Jean rated it:

If this doesn't win an award of some kind it will be a tragedy. The artwork alone is enough to make this book a hit. But Kadir Nelson's storytelling ability draws in the reader and keeps us wanting to know more. As I read, I felt like I was sitting and listening to someone like Buck O'Neill talking about the old days. He traces the history of the Negro Leagues from its inception through its heyday. We not only learn about the skills of some of the more famous players, but we also learn abou More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jun 22, 2008

Roxanne Hsu rated it:

Note to self:

p. 66: end of the big paragraph -- People who didn't know anything about baseball came to the ballpark in their Sunday best just to be SEEN at the East-West Game, you hear? Black AND white. <-- an example of the conversational tone that makes this such an enjoyable read.

Bottom of same page: "The almighty dollar has a way of changing folks' minds."

p. 72: "I remember a bunch of the guys sitting around talking about Jackie and the More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 10, 2009

Bullcitytaheel rated it:

3-1/2 stars. Also a Coretta Scott King illustrator honor book, which is highly deserved because the illustrations, mainly consisting of player and team portrait paintings, are beautiful - and to me, the most interesting part of the book. By trying to name so many names, the text gets a little redundant. You don't have to read the whole book to get the flavor, but do look at all the pictures! Baseball fans, in particular, may eat this up.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 11, 2012

Marla rated it:

Fascinating! The author was not particularly a fan of baseball and I think, because of that, he has added some depth that reaches those of us who are merely casual observers of the game. He brings the history of the Negro Leagues to vivid life with anecdotes and dialog that evoke a different place and time full of unique characters and uncomfortable encounters with discrimination. The details included about the discrimination the players faced were often things I'd never considered and made the More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 29, 2012

amy rated it:

Finally, an audio recording that is a smooth and luscious as the rich story told! Dion Graham, a prolific audio narrator, reads Kadir Nelson's story in an honest, well paced way. I downloaded this version from itunes, without the book. I enjoyed listening to it but would have really liked to have the book with me. The illustrations from this story are on a traveling exhibit, visit www.wearetheship.com for more information.

It is as if you are sitting around after dinner, listening to More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 22, 2009

Eboni rated it:

Turns out Nelson is a respectable writer, in addition to being an amazing illustrator. Some folks get ALL the talent :p Definitely gave me a lil' more respect for the game- cool idea to name the chapters "innings"

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 03, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

I thought that this book was wonderful, but as a disclaimer, I grew up watching and listening to baseball on the radio, and am one of the few people under the age of fifty in America that still feels that baseball has some sort of magic. Kadir Nelson captures this magic, not only in his words, but in his gorgeous paintings, which even outdo his previous well-known works, like the illustrations in Please, Baby, Please. We are the Ship is book for everyone, children and adults, and people should More...

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Feb 01, 2009

Jackie rated it:

We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson reminds us that we, as baseball fans, owe a debt of gratitude to those immensely talented men of the Negro Baseball League who played the game with dignity, affection, and devotion. Where would our beloved game be today if we did not enjoy the talents of Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Derrek Lee, or C.C. Sabithia? These dedicated men who put up with bumpy bus rides, segregation, playing three-games-a-day, and jeers and insults from white fans, are a tes More...

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Nov 29, 2011

Stevecrandell rated it:

I love the paintings: they’re the heart of this book. Oscar Charleston, Willie Foster with such serious small boys flanking him, Gus Greenlee and his money, Satchel Paige on the mound, Martin Dihigo, and Ray Dandridge are some of my favorites.

I’m not so much a fan of Kadir Nelson’s everyman narrator, although I appreciate his personal note of explanation. Too much of the storyline sounds clichéd, overly folksy, or worse. He shares the following about the Latin American winter ball s More...

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Nov 26, 2011

Leslie rated it:

The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Claudette Colvin. Rosa. Martin. The Little Rock Nine. But what about these men? These men slowly but surely laid the foundation of acceptance, enduring humiliating days and evenings for the sake of The Game. The art is phenomenal, each image a stroke of genius. The writing is accessible and infused with personality and affection for the game. The book is engaging and layered, and beautiful. But it's not hokey. In particular, the image of the umpires, and the image of More...

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Sep 27, 2011

528_Tracy rated it:

In We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, author and illustrator Kadir Nelson immerses his readers into the world of Negro League Baseball. The story is narrated from the point of view of a ballplayer giving you a glimpse into the Negro Leagues. The readers are introduced to such notable players as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and James "Cool Papa" Bell, as well as the owners who helped create the league, like Rube Foster. The book is divided into nine chapters, or inni More...

1 comment like

Jun 09, 2011

Charles rated it:

Charles Wood
INFO 683 w/ Professor Morris
Resource Review #2
May 3, 2009

Nelson, Kadir. We are the Ship: the Story of Negro League Baseball, New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, 2008, 88 pages. Hardcover.
ISBN-10: 0-7868-0832-2. Recommended for ages 7-12, and up.

We are the Ship is famed illustrator Kadir Nelson’s first book that he wrote as well as illustrated. The book has won the Coretta Scott King award for both author and i More...

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Nov 17, 2010

Staci rated it:

I really enjoyed the book "We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball." I found it very interesting to learn about the past in baseballs history. My family and I are HUGE baseball fans and it was really neat to read about. I loved the pictures that went along with each page and especially loved the huge picture of the fist colored world series in Kansas City. It was really neat to see how their old uniforms looked and it named off each player. I find the world series exci More...

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Nov 17, 2010

Derek rated it:

I really liked this book because I am a huge baseball fan and I love to learn about it. I really enjoyed looking at the illustrations in the book because they were done with such detail. I think that my favorite illustration would have to be painting of Hank Aaron at the beginning of to book. I found myself looking at it for a couple of minutes before I even started reading the page. Aaron goes on to talk about his experience's in the Negro League before being brought up to the Major League and More...

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Nov 17, 2010

Kelsey added it

I really enjoyed this book. I went into it with a positive outlook for a couple of different reasons. The first reason being that I have been involved in sports since I have been about five years old. Also, in my athletic career I have played with a lot of African American players. Lastly, but most importantly, my grandmother was the pitcher for the Rockford Peaches (the team from the movie A League of Their Own). My grandmother went through a lot of struggles much like the team from We Are the More...

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Nov 16, 2010

Rachel rated it:

The first time I looked at the nonfiction book, We are the ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, was in a classroom the teacher in the classroom I was observing used the book to intrigue the male readers with something that may interest them in a leisure. I thought this was a great opportunity for me to read the book rather than just glance it as I did before. I at first started to read the book I thought that the book was going to be boring. But after reading a little more than the “1st Inn More...

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Oct 20, 2010

Cindy rated it:

Kadir has provided a great resource for readings on a topic that has been under published. It is very apparent that a great deal of research was done on the topic and that he found a lot of amazing resources to use in creating this book. Kadir’s writing style makes it very interesting to read. His illustrations bring life to the people’s stories that he shares. The pictures are beautiful and his attentions to detail are so incredible. It was so helpful to have the illustrations to assist th More...

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Jul 02, 2010

Karen rated it:

Kadir Nelson’s writing style in We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball is unique. Mr. Nelson’s pictures are compelling but so are his words. He gives a vivid retelling yet original presentation regarding African Americans and baseball. The story is told in chronological order by a narrator, who according to the author’s notes was a ‘collective voice, the voice of every player, the voice of we [African Americans:].”
Reading this book was like sitting down and listening to a More...

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Mar 26, 2010

J-Lynn rated it:

This is the first book written by the amazingly gifted illustrator, Kadir Nelson. The story looks at various parts of the Negro Baseball Leagues and is full of facts and anecdotes. But, the narrators voice is what makes this story more engaging than a non-fiction account. It is written as if the person telling the story is a Negro League player reminiscing. In the back of the book, Nelson says the voice is meant to be the collective voice of the players.

Throughout the book, Nelso More...

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Mar 19, 2010

Jessica rated it:

In my review for Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon, I wrote that the best historical books will capture your attention, even on a topic that you have no prior interest in. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball is one of those books. Let me tell you, I have no interest in sports, especially in baseball. I just think it's horribly boring. But this book was completely fascinating! I don't think it would be hyperbole to say that I found it absolutely incred More...

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Dec 14, 2009

Christopher rated it:

5th grade - 8th grade

We Are the Ship is the story of the Negro Baseball Leagues. It is wonderfully retold by Kadir Nelson. This book gives a complete picture of what it was like playing and living as a part of the Negro Baseball leagues. Most pages have a picture of a player or somebody from the leagues and a full page of text. There are 30 lines of 12-point font on most pages. The sentence structure is more advanced because of the use of punctuation. More advanced readers will More...

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Nov 11, 2009

Lynsey rated it:

5th grade and above
The text of this book is arranged in the neatest way. It is arranged in nine innings. I thought that it was so appropriate for it being a book about baseball. This is upper level reading even though it is considered a picture book. It is arranged in multiple paragraphs in always on a page of negative space.
The illustrations in this book are unreal. The art looked like it was taken with a camera. The faces look so real. The clothing is so detailed right dow More...

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Nov 05, 2009

Casey rated it:

Grade level: 2 and up

The art in the story is very realistic. The shading and defintion on the faces of the men seems to further show their pain and hurt that they experienced in and out of the game of baseball. The detail on the various uniforms makes the reader feel as though they are witnesses a piece of history. The blending and different shades of the stadium pictures make you see a hot sunny day with a stadium full of fans. The text in the book is more advanced than many More...

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Jun 28, 2009

Elizabeth rated it:

This has both rich illustrations and substantial narrative text, so this is eligible for the Newbery as well as the Caldecott (I think). If you are a person who likes the history of baseball, or the history of sport in general, this is a great book for you even if you do not usually read a lot of kids' illustrated books. One of the things I like about Nelson's artwork is that his style has a lot of 1930s/1940s/WPA influences, and that's a great mesh for this subject matter. The story of the book More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 22, 2009

Katie rated it:

It is no surprise We Are The Ship is a 2009 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Honor Book. With beautifully rich paintings and an extremely authentic voice, Kadir Nelson tells that story of the Negro Leagues. He does this in a manner that honors the men who paved the way for Jackie Robinson. The greatness of the Negro League players and the game that was played by African Americans from the 1920s until 1947 speaks of hard work, persistence, and love of the game. Nelson tells the story of some of the gr More...

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