A Picture Book of Jackie Robinson

Picture Book Biography

by David A. Adler, Robert Casilla (Illustrator)

The first African American to play in the major leagues.

Genres: Biography, Sports, Picture Books, Childrens, History, Nonfiction, American History

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

David Abraham Adler is an American children's author. He was born in New York City, New York in 1947. He graduated from Queens College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics and education. For the next nine years, he worked as a mathematics teacher for the New York City Board of Education, while taking classes towards a master's degree in marketing, a degree he was awarded by New York University in 1971. In that same year, a question from his then-three-year-old nephew inspired Adler to write his first story, A Little at a Time, subsequently published by Random House in 1976. Adler's next project, a series of math books, drew on his experience as a math teacher. In 1977, he created his most famous character, Cam Jansen, originally featured in Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, which was published that year.

Adler married psychologist Renee Hamada in 1973, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1977. By that time Adler had taken a break from teaching and, while his wife continued her work, he stayed home, took care of Michael, and began a full-time writing career.

Adler's son, Michael S. Adler, is now the co-author of several books with his father, including A Picture Book of Sam Adams, A Picture Book of John Hancock, and A Picture Book of James and Dolly Madison. Another son, Edward, was the inspiration for Adler's Andy Russell series, with the events described in the series loosely based on adventures the Adler family had with Edward's enthusiasm and his pets.

As of November 2008, Adler has three sons and two grandsons. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great book! I loved learning about JAckie.

[Mary Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This informational picture book explores the life of Jackie Robinson, who was a great baseball player for the Dodgers. It also shows his struggles of the color barrier at the time in major league baseball. His story is very significant because he was the first African American to play in the major leagues. This biography touches on very high level concepts, such as racism, but presents it at a level that is appropriate for young readers.

This would be a great book to use during Black History Month to show students how far our nation has changed. Or if baseball is an interest of any of your students, this is a great book to have students read an informational text that will still provoke their interest of baseball.

With informational text being so prevalent in the Common Core Standards, this text would be a great read-aloud to the whole class. This is a great book to have the students pull specific information from text, such as who, what, when, where and why. These questions will help retell the specific facts in the story. Since the story does provide an ample amount of information recalling this specific information will provide the students with a better comprehension of the text.

[J9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great educational book for your children over the preschool age. My 6 yr old loved it. Lots of good information with beautiful pictures that will help keep children engaged. This was an addition to a history lesson on Jackie Robinson we did. A great addition to any children's library.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biography of Jackie Robinson - great illustrations, and good coverage of the story, though I didn't love the narration style. Still a decent story.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Picture Book of Jackie Robinson (Picture Book Biography) by David A. Adler- Pictures- Robert- Hindi language translation by Meenu Negi Rauthan- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the pictorial biography of first Afro-American Baseball player Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919. His Parents were Jerry and Mallie Robinson. In his growing up years, Jackie loved to play games. He played games such as dodgeball, stickball, jacks and marbles. When Jackie went to UCLA he played Track, field Football and baseball. In 1940 Jackie met a girl named Rachel Isum. Initially, Rachel did not like him but then she realized that Jackie was a warm and sensitive man. In 1941, Jackie left UCLA and joined the army as the Second World war had begun. He was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas. After the war, he came out of the military and joined a baseball team Called the Kansas City Monarchs. Later on, he was offered to play for an all- white team called for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He played well and the team won the tournament championship. He retired and joined as Vice-President of Chock -Full o’ nuts. He suffered from diabetes. He died of a heart attack in October 24, 1972. Coloured illustrations help the reader in relating to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Britany · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story about Jackie Robinson goes from the beginning of his life up to when he passed away. It was detailed and talked about challenges that he faced, and things that he accomplished throughout his life. There were not too many facts and dates to think about but, the story did follow a timeline through his life. That was one thing that I really liked about the book; it was told as a story, which was good instead of reading fact and date after date.
This was a good read, and I thought that David Adler did a great job of writing the story. The illustrations matched the text and the words used in the text was very descriptive. Illustrations used throughout the book were detailed and consistent, they had the same characteristics, and all focused-on Jackie Robinson the focus of this biography. After reading this book, I know more about Jackie Robinson, and I liked the short paragraphs that the texts were organized into. The full pages alone could tell the story of Jackie Robinson and they also do a great job of portraying Jackie as a brave individual who worked hard for his success.

[Stephanie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Level: 5.2

Book Summary: This is a good book for young- middle children. Jackie Robinson is an important figure in American sports history and this book does a wonderful job of explaining through mostly pictures. This was one of the first sports books my son owned and to this day he talks about Jackie Robinson. This book has a good model of reaching young kids. There are some topics such as pearl harbor that is higher level understand, yet the illustrations help all students connect with it. Cute story and illustrations too.

Bookshelf Genre: Biography

Characteristics to support the genre: Based on facts, Describing a person's life.

Bookshelf mentor traits:

• Ideas - This book has a great formula or idea for children because it teaches history while appealing to a wide variety of reading levels.

• Presentation - The illustrations are great and help the students connect with the story, even the tough topics.

Classroom Integration: I would love to have this book in my classroom library, it touches on some good subjects in history. I would use it any history or writing lesson.

[Tia Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book gives the reader a quick glimpse into the life of the famous Jackie Robinson. Adler touches on Robinson's major accomplishment of being the first African American to play in the majors, and also his work during the civil rights movement.The author briefly introduces the prejudice that Jackie had to overcome before and during his time playing Major League Baseball. The illustrations are done in watercolor and are a great background for the text and draw the attention of the reader.
This book is an easy, yet informative read and I would recommend it for children in grades kindergarten to third grade, depending on the reading ability. this book could be used in social studies or history to give the readers a connection to what was really happening during the civil rights movement and how Robinson overcame all the prejudices that were before him. Although the author does not give an in-depth biography, he introduces just enough to spark interest in learning more about Jackie Robinson.

[Ruben]

David A. Adler wrote this book about the first African American to join an all white baseball team
Jackie Robinson was born an January 31 1919 his Parents were Jerry an Mallie Robinson Jackie loved to play games he played games such as dodgeball, stickball, jacks an marbles then when Jackie went to UCLA he played Track, field Football an baseball in 1940 Jackie met a girl named Rachel Isum Rachel Didn’t like him at first but then she realized that Jackie was a warm an sensitive man in 1941 Jackie left UCLA an then went to the army an sent to fort Riley Kansas When he Came out of the military he joined a baseball team Called the Kansas City Monarchs Later on He was ask to play for an all white team called for the Brooklyn Dodgers he played good an after he was done he retired an was vice president of chock full o’ nuts then he died of a heart attack in October 24 1972 .
I Recommend this book to people that Learning about sports or African American Hero

[Kimberly Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informational book on the life of Jackie Robinson. He was born in a small house on a plantation in Cairo, Georgia. He graduated from John Muir Technical High School and then UCLA. He went on to become on of the most famous baseball players because he was the first African Americans to play baseball on a professional team. Good book for students in grades 3-6.

[Jordan Vinson]

This picture book is very inspirational. It discusses the life of Jackie Robinson, the first African American MLB player. The book shows his life and struggles he had to deal with being black in the time he lived. It goes over his achievements and everything else.
Age Level:3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

[Alyssa Crabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biography - I LOVED this book. Great pictures about a great hero. It includes more about Jackie than just his baseball career. Lovely illustrations which makes it fun for young kids. A story that needs to be told.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book it gave a lot of information for a picture book.

[Olivia Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book about Jackie Robinson. This is a autobiography about him.

[Johnnie Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good read. Although very short I think it is great for the elementary level to inform them and keep their focus all at the same time!

[Elsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal reaction- I thought this book was very informational and interesting. With a movie that came out only a few years ago about Jackie Robinson, many children are familiar with who Jackie Robinson was. This book is a more informational read about Jackie’s life and his journey to stardom as an athlete. The book does not disguise the hardships of Jackie’s life which is rare for children’s books. Read aloud for curricular- This book can be used to teach children history. The book’s setting is taking place during Jackie’s life which was in the early 1900’s. This teaches the children about how life was back in this time period. Children are not as exposed to racism in today’s world. This book can teach children about racism and the drastic changes from our society today and the society of Jackie’s era. With that being said, this book can apply to many different age groups. I would suggest readers from the ages of 7-12 reading this biography of an American hero. Non-fiction- The biography conventions used in this book include a page dedicated to important dates for the Negro league continuing from 1919-1972. This adds to the importance and significance of the time period and era that Jackie lived in. This book is also very accurate and reliable. The author’s note mentions the previous books written by David Adler and his contributions to children’s literature.

[Jennifer Lanman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a good job talking about the life of Jackie Robinson. It even ties in history components such as slavery, segregation and the attacking of Pearl Harbor leading to WW2. The pictures are bright watercolors which help tell the story. You can use this for students in grades 1st-3rd. You can use this book for a read aloud. It can be read before talking about history. It shows the students what one family went through and the struggles they faced to push through and become someone who is known till this day. It uses chronological order when telling the story of Jackie. It gives the students a better idea of what it was like for a certain family and explain many families faced these similarities. You can have the students do a compare and contrast of the past vs present and how whites and african americans are treated now. You can also have them compare and contrast Whites vs African Americans in that certain time period to make sure they comprehend what you have taught them. Another activity you could do is have each student take a historical figure and read a biography about them then, do a time line about their life. You can show the example with the book on Jackie Robinson.

[Sarah Rourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I think this book did a great job of discussing the most important parts of Jackie Robinson's life. I enjoyed how it started with Jackie's childhood, and progressed through his older life so that the reader gets a broader view of his life.

This book would be good to read independently for students grades 5th-6th. If students were learning about famous people and had to do a report, this would also be a good book for them to read. It's an easy enough read that students at this age wouldn't get bored reading it, but it will also give them the information they need. This book would also interest boys that love baseball. Teachers could recommend this book for boys who are interested in baseball and want to give them a book they can read about famous baseball plays

This book could also be read aloud for a nonfiction example, and discussing what biographies and what they are. The teacher would explain to the students that a biography is a book about one person and their life, so it can not be fiction. This book could even be used when discussing segregation. This book shows good examples of ways that Jackie was discriminated against during his life, such as on the bus and at restaurants.

[Emily Peer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: This biography reads more like a story book. This story includes a lot of information about the struggles of growing up African American in a time where racism was still very relevant. It is entertaining and and explains Jackie's life in chronological order.
Read Aloud: I would use this as a read aloud in a 2nd or 3rd grade classroom to correlate with a social studies unit. The book includes Pearl Harbor and gives great examples of how life was back then for African Americans.
Independent Reading: I think this would be good for students to read independently in grades 2nd or 3rd. The book talks a lot about Jackie's journey through sports and the army which would be of great interest to many students.
The book includes an authors note that gives the student an idea about the author and explains his reasoning on writing this book. The book also includes a timeline of important dates in the back of the book that would be a great resource for students to read the main points of the story. The book did not include a glossary or index.

[Lindsey LaMonica · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Picture Book of Jackie Robinson" by David A. Adler with illustrations by Robert Casilla is a great picture to learn about the life of famous baseball star Jackie Robinson. Robinson was the first African American baseball player to play in the major leagues. Apart from other biographies I have read about Robinson I love that this one is still sweet, simple and to the point yet you learn a lot about his life. It focuses in on his childhood, education, time in the war, his wife/kids but still hits what he is know for.. playing for the Dodgers. It really shows his struggles of the color barrier at the time in major league baseball as well as just his life growing up and serving his country. I really enjoyed Casilla's full page illustrations. They are down beautifully with laid back easy colors. The pictures also help to bring the text to life. I would recommend this book for third graders and up for the text is a little more complex and much more informational than other picture book Robinson books I've read.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response- The book was a great read because it really shows the effects of segregation and racism throughout as with the hardship he faced. The book was never boring and kept me interested with dates and detailed information on Jackie Robinson's life. The illustrations looked worn and made me feel like it was a really long time ago.

Purpose in the Classroom- This biography would be a good independent read for fourth through fifth grade. The book could be used for a sports project and/or for a discussion on African American history and segregation. Students could compare and contrast how life was different for whites and blacks then and now. or example, blacks were to sit at the back of the bus. Nonfiction conventions used in the book were bold faced type and important dates with explanations in the back of the book.

[Rachel Devine]

1) No awards
2) Grades: 1-3
3) This book is about Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in major league baseball. The book starts out with his birth and details his life and struggle of becoming a major league baseball player.
4) I like this book because it includes a lot of details of Robinson’s life to make the reader really understand everything he went through. MY only complaint is that it is a little narrative in its story telling I wish it had more of a literary feel to it.
5) This book can be used to talk about the history of race in this contrary and how hard it was to integrate in many different areas of our society. The book mentions many different areas in which society was segregated. This book can be used to explain and talk about these different areas.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was it just 66 years ago that blacks were not allowed to play in major league baseball? Amazing how far our country has come in civil rights and human acceptance in such a short time. In many ways, I am so proud of the age in which I am raising my boys. It is important to remind myself of this when I get disillusioned with the world and humanity. In any case, this is a great book about Jackie Robinson and why he was not only a great baseball player and talented all around athlete but also a brave hero for the civil rights movement. My boys and I really enjoyed this book.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a biographical picture book about the life of Jackie Robinson. Similar to other picture book biographies by Adler, this book outlines the main points of childhood and adulthood. The main struggle of Robinson's life and career outlined in this book was his breaking of the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Themes of diversity, hard work, hope and perseverance make the story of Robinson great. I give this book 5 out of 5 for the story and usefulness in the classroom. Appropriate for K-4

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I am a baseball player and a huge baseball fan in general. Therefore, I really, really enjoyed this book. The book was very colorful with all of the different types of colors and pictures. Even though Jackie Robinson was from an older generation, I still feel lie younger kids would enjoy this book. The book was a picture book depicting all of Jackie Robinson's life. Hands down I would give this book a 5 out 5 stars.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great informational picture book about the late Jackie Robison. It tells about his life and struggles as a baseball player. I would use this book to teach students about non-fiction picture books. I would also use this book when I’m teaching students the different parts of a story. This would be great for showing students conflict and solution.

[Katarina Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great book to explain who Jackie Robinson was and how he impacted the world so much. The book does not give as many graphic details as I am sure his life was really like, but it did a good job of making the story kid-friendly. Jackie Robinson's story would be an excellent story to tell in lessons in lessons on the fight for equal rights.

[Katie Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a biography of Jackie Robinson who was the first African American to play major league baseball. I really loved this book and the pictures were amazing. This is a good book to use in the classroom during Black History Month.

[Amber Graves · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a complete biography of Jackie Robinson. It mentions all his major accomplishments with some detail, and is accompanied by pictures on all pages. The back of the book gives important dates in his life as well as some other information in the author's note.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Picture Book of Jackie Robinson is a great balance of facts and story. I think second and third grade boys would take an interest in this book. I admire Jackie Robinson because he had both character and courage throughout his life.