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Dad, Jackie, and Me

by Myron Uhlberg, Colin Bootman (Illustrator)

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 102 ratings · 32 reviews

An inspiring and sentimental tale of one famous summer in Brooklyn in 1947. It is the summer of 1947 and a highly-charged baseball season is underway in New York. Jackie Robinson is the new first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers-and the first black player in major league baseball. A young boy shares the excitement of Robinson's rookie season with his deaf father. Each day...more

Hardcover, 32 pages

Published March 1st 2005 by Peachtree Publishers

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Children & YA Novels About Deafness

4th out of 79 books — 41 voters

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Disabled isn't Unable

75th out of 79 books — 5 voters

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Jul 07, 2012 Tiffany Cooke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, children-s-books

Jackie Robinson is one of my heroes, so I was thrilled to discover someone had left me this book as a gift the last day of school.
This picture book packs an emotional wallop. The boy in the story loves baseball, especially The Brooklyn Dodgers. His dad takes him to opening day, 1947, to see Jackie Robinson. The dad shouts "Ah-ghee, Ah-ghee" every time Jackie is up to bat. Being deaf, he isn't aware that he is mispronouncing Jackie's name, but his son is embarrassed when the other fans begin to...more

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Nov 22, 2009 Connie rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story is a good one, and, if the afterword is to be believed, true to the author's life. His deaf father feels a personal connection to Jackie Robinson because of discrimination and prejudice, and goes to all the games he can, learns as much about baseball as possible (the afterword explained that his father hadn't learned baseball at the residential school he attended as a child as it was considered a "waste of time" to teach deaf kids to play sports), and when the Dodgers win the World Ser...more The story is a good one, and, if the afterword is to be believed, true to the author's life. His deaf father feels a personal connection to Jackie Robinson because of discrimination and prejudice, and goes to all the games he can, learns as much about baseball as possible (the afterword explained that his father hadn't learned baseball at the residential school he attended as a child as it was considered a "waste of time" to teach deaf kids to play sports), and when the Dodgers win the World Series, our narrator's father is thrown a ball from his hero, so it's this triumph for him as well. It's a good story.

Of course, the afterword is where the meat is. In the story itself, we're told that "The Giants hated Jackie Robinson", but no detail is given. The innocent reader might come away with the impression that the Giants disliked him simply because he was a good ball player! The afterword explains how our author's father told him to look out for all the unfair treatment Robinson would receive from the other team, all the petty bits of discrimination - this isn't mentioned in the book proper. The afterword explains why the author's father was so interested in Jackie Robinson (and why he knew so little about baseball prior to that, up to being unable to catch a ball) and also explains that his father told him about the first deaf man to play in the Major Leagues, well before this time.

All of this information could have been integrated into the book, and it would have made the book a better read. I could understand leaving out some information for younger readers, but this book is written on an advanced enough level that I don't think that could apply here. Given how important the context of discrimination and prejudice and differences is for understanding the book, I think it should have been included in the main text.

I also am not a fan of the illustrations. Many of them create the appearance of having been posed rather than of real people. For example, in the scene where our author's dad first shows up with a pair of tickets to a game and shows them to his son, their expressions and posture look so forced that I keep wondering if there's supposed to be a hidden camera in the room!

There are two minor notes I want to make about language as well. First, the book does mention that Jackie Robinson was the first Negro signed onto the Major Leagues, this shouldn't be a problem. It was the acceptable word back then and is totally appropriate in the context. A construction such as African-American would sound very strange! The second is how the father and son talk. The father's speech (unless he's specifically using his voice) is always referred to as signing - "My father signed this" or "My father signed that". This makes sense, his father uses ASL to communicate and we're told his speech is unclear. But when the son speaks to his father, the verb is "said". This forms the weird picture in my mind that the father is signing but his son is speaking English to him and expecting him to lipread. Given that we see the boy signing in many pictures of him with his dad, this seems unlikely (not to mention inefficient!) These two comments are very minor, and shouldn't cause problems for any reader, but I thought I'd mention them.(less)

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Feb 23, 2013 L13_Allison Safran rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, picture-books, mc-literature, realistic-fiction, audio-visual

Dad, Jackie, and Me written by Myron Uhlberg is an award winning book that was published in 2005. It won the Teacher’s Choice Award as well as the Schneider Family Book Award.

The story takes place in Brooklyn, New York in 1947. It is Opening Day at Ebbets Field and the Dodgers are playing! The story tells the tale of a boy and his father and their experience on Opening Day.

The language is very expressive in the book and gives great voice to the characters. The book also gives great details abo...more

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Feb 21, 2012 L12_sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books, realistic-fiction

Dad, Jackie, and Me is a heartwarming story of parallel experiences that seem divergent, but ultimately converge. It is the spring of 1947 and a young boy (10-12 years old) is excited for baseball season to start so that he can listen to his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers and their newly acquired player, Jackie Robinson, on the radio. The boy is even more excited when his father brings home two tickets to a game at Ebbets Field--the boy's first!--and takes him to the game, despite never having shown...more Dad, Jackie, and Me is a heartwarming story of parallel experiences that seem divergent, but ultimately converge. It is the spring of 1947 and a young boy (10-12 years old) is excited for baseball season to start so that he can listen to his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers and their newly acquired player, Jackie Robinson, on the radio. The boy is even more excited when his father brings home two tickets to a game at Ebbets Field--the boy's first!--and takes him to the game, despite never having shown any interest in baseball before. All the way there, the boy's father talks about how he wants to meet Jackie. However, he is deaf and can only sign, so the boy does not see how this is possible. At the game, the boy's father gets very excited and yells out Jackie's name whenever he makes a great play (which is often). However, because he is deaf, it comes out as a strangled yell. The boy is embarrassed by the attention his father gets, but the crowd gets so into the game and Jackie's playing that it does not matter. After the game, the boy's father becomes very interested in learning about baseball, even buying a mitt so he can play catch with his son. When the boy and his father go to other games, they watch as others yell racial slurs at Jackie, but he just focuses on the game and does not react. In the last home game of the season, the boy and his father are in the stands once again, cheering, when Jackie catches the last out. In a sudden act of kindness and recognition, Jackie throws the ball to the boy's father and smiles.

In the author's note, Myron Uhlberg explains how his own father was deaf and had a special interest in Jackie Robinson. Although it took him a little time to determine, Uhlberg realized that his deaf father and Jackie Robinson had something in common: "they were both men who worked to overcome thoughtless prejudice and to prove themselves every day of their lives."

The watercolor illustrations have a nostalgic quality and contribute to the story by expressing movement, despite muted and often drab coloring.

Because of its inclusion of biographical information on Jackie Robinson and not one, but two groups of marginalized people, Dad, Jackie, and Me is a great discussion-starting book when it comes to the concept of prejudice and overcoming it. It would also be a good companion text during a unit on Civil Rights and the role of athletes in breaking the color barrier. This book could be used with children as young as kindergarten, or as old as third or fourth grade. The story itself can be appreciated by all ages!(less)

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Mar 02, 2011 L11_Page rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical_fiction, picture_books

Author Myron Uhlberg writes a genuine tribute to Jackie Robinson's rookie year with the Brooklyn Dodgers through the eyes of a baseball-obsessed boy, maybe 9 or 10 years old. While the boy is never named, I'm thinking that the author is writing about himself, since he, like the protagonist, grew up with two deaf parents in Brooklyn, NY during the time of Jackie Robinson.

Though his dad never seemed to care about baseball, he comes home one day with tickets to Ebbets Field to watch the Dodgers. H...more

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Nov 06, 2010 N_kellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Dad, Jackie and Me is the story about a boy and his dad who bond by going to Brooklyn Dodgers baseball games. Only they aren’t just going to the games because they are Dodgers fans, it’s Jackie Robinson’s rookie season as the first black man to play in major league baseball.
The story starts with the boy explaining that his ear was glued to the radio because it was opening day 1947. The boy explained that he listened to the entire first game and could see it all in his “mind’s eye” and he dream...more Dad, Jackie and Me is the story about a boy and his dad who bond by going to Brooklyn Dodgers baseball games. Only they aren’t just going to the games because they are Dodgers fans, it’s Jackie Robinson’s rookie season as the first black man to play in major league baseball.
The story starts with the boy explaining that his ear was glued to the radio because it was opening day 1947. The boy explained that he listened to the entire first game and could see it all in his “mind’s eye” and he dreamed of the day he could see it for himself. One day, his father brought home tickets for a Dodgers game, as the dad and the boy get ready to go to the game the boy tossed a ball to the dad, but the dad couldn’t catch the ball, because he never played baseball. While at the game, the dad was chanting “go Jackie!” like others in the crowd, but because he is deaf, he cannot hear himself, and it sounds more like “Go Ah-gee!” and the boy felt embarrassed because everyone turned to look at his dad. The Dodgers ended up winning that first game and the boy’s dad was anxious for the boy to teach him everything he knew about baseball, and Jackie Robinson. The two kept going to the baseball games whenever they could and watched how Jackie never complained or reacted to the hard time he got from the opposing teams and the horrible things they called him. At the end of the story Jackie tosses a ball into the crowd and the boy’s dad reached up and caught the ball with his bare hand! The last page of the book is an author’s note that explains, “This story is a work of fiction. Parts of is, however, are based on truth.” This is followed by an explanation about how the story is based on the author’s own boyhood experiences and the struggles his father endured because of his impairment.
The watercolor painted pictures give this book an older look allowing the reader to feel like they are taken back to this time period. Large, detailed, pictures take up over half of each page leaving space at the bottom for text. The format of every page is set up the same, except for one, where the text is written in 2 columns on each page instead of all the way across the page. This stood out to me as I read. I think it may have been set up this way intentionally because of all the dialogue. The 2 columns made the text easier to read.
This text could be used in many ways in an elementary through high school classroom. Ideas of prejudice and racism could be discussed, and other first people to accomplish a goal could be discovered. The detailed illustrations add to the story and could be used, along with the text, to make inferences.
Baseball is not my favorite, but I enjoyed the story that was told and how each character overcame a struggle.
(less)

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Feb 04, 2013 ACS Book-finder rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review: “Dad, Jackie, and Me”, written by Myron Uhlberg, weaves the story of Jackie Robinson with the story of a young boy with a Deaf father. I love the scrapbook pages that are reproduced as part of the inside cover. The story told through the eyes of the young boy reveal his excitement for the game of baseball and the history made by Jackie Robinson.

In the telling of the story the boy also reveals a small peek into the life of living with a Deaf father and how that impacts his life. At the en...more

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Jan 13, 2013 The Styling Librarian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, picture-books

Dad, Jackie and Me by Myron Uhlberg, illustrated by Colin Bootman - reminded me of Phil Bildner's writing and stories. Loved the main character's attitude about his father, sports, and equality. Story is set in 1947 with a kid in Brooklyn expecting that Dodgers were going to go all the way because they signed Jackie Robinson on to play. His father came home after never indicating interest in baseball in the past to having a pair of tickets so they could go watch the game. It was quickly revealed...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Becky Birtha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: african-american-interest, picture-book

Dad, Jackie and Me really impressed me. This book works on many levels: as a baseball story; historical fiction; a civil rights movement story; a story featuring a deaf character; a bit of a biography of Jackie Robinson's first year in major league baseball; and as just a good story about a boy and his dad. Colin Bootman's watercolors capture all the excitement of the field, as well as many details of life in Brooklyn in 1947. I even liked the design of this book, the bordered illustrations remi...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Salima Hart rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Dad, Jackie, and Me" was a really good story that highlighted not only life with a deaf parent, but also a prominent time in US history. I found it interesting through research to find that the father in the story is actually based on the father of the author. The young boy in the story is a huge fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and listens to them every day on the radio. One day his father surprises him with tickets to the game. Throughout the story the boy describes the difficulties that Jackie R...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-8, fiction, baseball, historical-fiction, disability, in-classroom

This is a book that came packaged in a cluster of books for my classroom a couple years ago. The other day I picked this off the shelf. It found its way into my bag and has been sitting here at home ever since. I just read it. Pretty good.

In 1947 the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson. A little boy's father became excited and began attending games with his boy rooting Robinson on. The father and son played catch, even though the father was no good at it. What is special about this is that t...more

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Dec 06, 2010 Patrick Carson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have an autographed copy of this book, signed by my good friend and amazing author Myron Uhlberg. It says and I quote, "PJ - I was not kidding you--or even worse---patronizing you when I said you have a real talent. I look forward to one day writing a best selling novel written by you! Your friend, Myron Uhlberg. Myron has emailed me constantly throughout the years, giving advice and encouraging me to continue writing. He is my motivation. This book is a wonderful read, and an emotional story...more

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Jul 26, 2009 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Linda by: Uhlberg's memoir

Shelves: clcpl

I read Mr. Uhlberg's memoir of his childhood and his deaf parents. That inspired me to look into Uhlberg's children's books. This is one of the stories touched on in the adult memoir. I think it is a beautifully told and illustrated story of a different time in America. Perhaps today, with Barack Obama as president, it is relevant to look back at the breaking of another barrier in American Life. This fictionalized story of a moment in Uhlberg's youth covers the thrills and the willfulness of 60...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Lindsey added it

Shelves: historical-fiction, picture-book, realistic-fiction

In this book, a boy with a deaf father, travel to watch the Dodgers baseball team play both the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. The dad didn't take interest in baseball until after going to the first game with his son and they both became really interested in Jackie Robinson, the first pro baseball player. The author's note at the end said that parts of this book was based on true parts of his life, such as the deaf father.

I would use this book to help teach about Jackie Robinson and I coul...more

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May 18, 2013 Veronica added it

Shelves: manners

I'm working on creating a booklist for my local public library. This book was one in consideration for this list.

This book is not going on my list. It's a great book for showing that differences between people is something to be celebrated, but it was so heavy handed, I think the message almost becomes annoying.

I liked this book a lot. And for special events like Love to Read Month, or Black History Month, or even Disabilities Awareness events, it would be great! But it's not for my list.

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Feb 10, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: disability-awareness-books, historical-fiction-books

This book is about a boy and his father who attend games that Jackie Robertson played in 1947. The dad in the story is deaf but he still enjoys going to the games and playing catch with his son. This is a good book on showing how a child and their parent can bond over a similar interest. I think this would be a good book for any young child that likes to watch or play baseball.

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Apr 20, 2011 Sarah M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books, picture-books

This is a great story. The relationship between the boy and his father who is deaf is inspring for readers who are in the same situation. It also shows the passion the arthor had for the sport of baseball. A teacher could use this book on diversity, disabilities, and relationships. The book will connect to many children because of the interest in baseball.

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Jul 03, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tl544, learning-disability

A deaf father takes interest in his son's passion, Jackie Robinson. His son teaches his father all about him and they go to a few games as well. This story shows the difficulties of learning a new sport with a disability, and also how passion can drive what we learn.

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Apr 04, 2013 Bethany Erickson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, children-s, historical, picture

It could be that I'm just super emotional these days, but this story choked me up. Such a good story, and a great book to tie in to a lesson on America's favorite past time. Also a great story to read in anticipation of the new movie, "42" coming out.

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Apr 20, 2011 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: second-born

titus is picking out some great books based on historical events. i thought this was great b/c we could talk about deaf people and how they were discriminated against just like Jackie was.

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Nov 27, 2011 Nakitah added it

A boy learns about discrimination. This can be used to tell students what discrimination is and discuss how we can be respectful and not discriminate against anyone.

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Apr 09, 2013 Brindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, schneider-award

2006 Schneider- Young

This book is wonderful; it's about more than being deaf or being black. It's about overcoming any obstacle. A great book!

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Sep 05, 2009 Meghan rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great book to read when studying about the civil rights movement. The story is told through the eyes of a young baseball fanatic!

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Jan 22, 2008 Molly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, picture-books

This book follows a young boy and his father during the 1947 Major League Baseball fan. The boy is an avid Dodgers fan but his father never seemed all that interested in baseball. That is, until Jackie Robinson comes along. The young boy's father is deaf and he has endured prejudice his whole life. He feels a connection to Jackie Robinson and becomes a huge fan. The boy and his father attend many games and collect all the clippings about Jackie. In the end, the young boy learns why his father fe...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Mary Ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love anything by Myron!

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Mar 16, 2009 Donna added it

Sensory - Vision

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Jan 29, 2013 PWRL marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2013-new

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Sep 07, 2012 Kobie Schnitman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good book

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Jun 24, 2012 Erin Olson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Loved it!

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Nov 16, 2012 Gavin rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book Jackie and Me by Dan Gutmam is about a young boy who cam travel back in time using a baseball card of his best player and he goes back in time to fix the baseball players problems that was going on when they were in the MLB.

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About Myron Uhlberg

Myron Uhlberg is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of a number of children’s books. He recently published a memoir of his life in Brooklyn, New York, growing up the oldest hearing son of deaf parents. He lives with his wife in Santa Monica and Palm Springs.

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Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love

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