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All Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball
The remarkable story of Larry Doby, the first Black baseball player in the American League.
In 1947, Larry Doby signed with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first Black player in the American leagues. He endured terrible racism, both from fans and his fellow teammates. Despite this, he became a unifying force on and off the field, and went on to become a seven-time All Star. Illustrated with Cannaday Chapman’s bold, stylized illustrations, this exceptional biography tells the story of an unsung hero who not only opened doors for those behind him, but set amazing records during his Hall of Fame career. More significantly, it examines the long fight to overcome racism in sports and our culture at large, a fight that is far from over.
In 1947, Larry Doby signed with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first Black player in the American leagues. He endured terrible racism, both from fans and his fellow teammates. Despite this, he became a unifying force on and off the field, and went on to become a seven-time All Star. Illustrated with Cannaday Chapman’s bold, stylized illustrations, this exceptional biography tells the story of an unsung hero who not only opened doors for those behind him, but set amazing records during his Hall of Fame career. More significantly, it examines the long fight to overcome racism in sports and our culture at large, a fight that is far from over.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 4, 2022
1 person is currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Audrey Vernick
39 books151 followersAudrey Vernick is the author of books for young readers.
Forthcoming titles:
When I Redraw the World, illustrated by Heather Fox
Homesick, written with Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Daniel Miyares
www.audreyvernick.com
Forthcoming titles:
When I Redraw the World, illustrated by Heather Fox
Homesick, written with Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Daniel Miyares
www.audreyvernick.com
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 19, 2021
Larry Doby is a name that few kids know, but all children should. Jackie Robinson was the first African American player in the MLB, but Larry Doby was right behind him. This picture book biography of Larry Doby is wonderful, with bright, vivid illustrations and easy to understand, straight forward text. While I wouldn't use it in my public library story times (it's too long), I would absolutely recommend it in reader's advisory situations and to teachers. I love the overall message, "The world doesn't change all by itself. People change the world. People with strength and confidence. It takes a superstar on the field and off."
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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January 23, 2022With her latest book All-Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball, author Audrey Vernick adds another fascinating nonfiction title to her body of work about historic baseball figures whose contributions are sometimes overshadowed by other events and players. Larry Doby was the second Black major leaguer. He debuted eleven and a half weeks after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. Doby was the first Black player in the American League, and his stellar career included many other “firsts.”
Vernick tells Doby’s story from childhood through his game-winning home run in the 1948 World Series. Throughout the narrative, she emphasizes the theme of how the world changes, which is usually very slowly, but hope is always an option. The book opens with young Larry Doby playing baseball with both white and Black children who are free from the racial prejudice present in many societal institutions. As Doby ages, he faces racism in professional baseball when he begins his career in the Negro Leagues before joining the Cleveland Indians where he is subjected to the same kinds of abuse that Jackie Robinson experienced in the National League. The book ends with images of contemporary kids of all races playing baseball together and this lesson about change: “The world doesn’t change all by itself. People change the world. People with strength and confidence.”
The text of All-Star is both accessible and artful as Vernick carefully crafts each sentence to echo an element from the preceding sentence. The text smoothly integrates numerous quotes from Larry Doby himself. Cannaday Chapman’s exceptional illustrations are comic-like with slightly offset coloring in the central figures layered on textured backgrounds that evoke nostalgia while also simulating action and movement.
The back matter includes Audrey Vernick’s excellent Author’s Note that thoughtfully analyzes baseball’s history of race relations and Larry Doby’s role in it, as well as a useful bibliography.
All-Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball will appeal to young readers interested in baseball, history, or social issues, and it will be especially welcome to those who enjoyed Audrey Vernick’s earlier baseball books, including Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team, The Funniest Man in Baseball: The True Story of Max Patkin, The Kid from Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton, and many others.
This review originally was originally posted on my What's Not Wrong? blog in slightly different form.
Vernick tells Doby’s story from childhood through his game-winning home run in the 1948 World Series. Throughout the narrative, she emphasizes the theme of how the world changes, which is usually very slowly, but hope is always an option. The book opens with young Larry Doby playing baseball with both white and Black children who are free from the racial prejudice present in many societal institutions. As Doby ages, he faces racism in professional baseball when he begins his career in the Negro Leagues before joining the Cleveland Indians where he is subjected to the same kinds of abuse that Jackie Robinson experienced in the National League. The book ends with images of contemporary kids of all races playing baseball together and this lesson about change: “The world doesn’t change all by itself. People change the world. People with strength and confidence.”
The text of All-Star is both accessible and artful as Vernick carefully crafts each sentence to echo an element from the preceding sentence. The text smoothly integrates numerous quotes from Larry Doby himself. Cannaday Chapman’s exceptional illustrations are comic-like with slightly offset coloring in the central figures layered on textured backgrounds that evoke nostalgia while also simulating action and movement.
The back matter includes Audrey Vernick’s excellent Author’s Note that thoughtfully analyzes baseball’s history of race relations and Larry Doby’s role in it, as well as a useful bibliography.
All-Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball will appeal to young readers interested in baseball, history, or social issues, and it will be especially welcome to those who enjoyed Audrey Vernick’s earlier baseball books, including Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team, The Funniest Man in Baseball: The True Story of Max Patkin, The Kid from Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton, and many others.
This review originally was originally posted on my What's Not Wrong? blog in slightly different form.
October 29, 2022
I was glad to learn about Larry Doby, a Black baseball player who came into Major League Baseball in 1947 just a few weeks after Jackie Robinson began playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Doby played for the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians) and faced a lot of mistreatment by his fellow players, the opposing team, and fans.
Vernick's book starts with Doby's childhood where he first started playing baseball with other neighborhood kids. There was a diverse racial make up, and none of the kids thought anything about that. He later played in the Negro League before being drafted into the military. He eventually made it onto the Cleveland Indian's team as their first Black player and the second Black player in the League.
In 1948, Doby helped secure the World Series win with a game-winning homerun. A photo of him in the locker room hugging pitcher with his fellow team mate Steve Gramek was published in papers all over the world. It was one of the first images of a white and black player hugging as peers.
For the next decade, more and more major league teams brought Black payers onto their rosters, with the Boston Red Sox being "the last to sign a Black paper," which happened in 1959. Doby was an important trailblazer.
The images focus on Doby as an athlete throughout his life with particular emphasis on the years he was with Cleveland.
It's an inviting book, ideal for readers ages 10-13 because of the level of the texts. The illustrations are very large, so I can see a teacher, parent, or librarian reading this to younger children by paraphrasing some of the more complex sentences.
The back matter includes two full pages of biography about Doby.
Vernick's book starts with Doby's childhood where he first started playing baseball with other neighborhood kids. There was a diverse racial make up, and none of the kids thought anything about that. He later played in the Negro League before being drafted into the military. He eventually made it onto the Cleveland Indian's team as their first Black player and the second Black player in the League.
In 1948, Doby helped secure the World Series win with a game-winning homerun. A photo of him in the locker room hugging pitcher with his fellow team mate Steve Gramek was published in papers all over the world. It was one of the first images of a white and black player hugging as peers.
For the next decade, more and more major league teams brought Black payers onto their rosters, with the Boston Red Sox being "the last to sign a Black paper," which happened in 1959. Doby was an important trailblazer.
The images focus on Doby as an athlete throughout his life with particular emphasis on the years he was with Cleveland.
It's an inviting book, ideal for readers ages 10-13 because of the level of the texts. The illustrations are very large, so I can see a teacher, parent, or librarian reading this to younger children by paraphrasing some of the more complex sentences.
The back matter includes two full pages of biography about Doby.
June 4, 2022
Larry Doby's name is a familiar one to me as I grew up in West Orange, NJ - a town adjacent to Montclair, NJ where Larry lived (not far from Yogi Berra) after he retired from professional baseball. He was still very active in community and local sporting events, so he often made appearances and took part in various activities. We, as living locally to both Paterson and Montclair, all knew his story about being second to Jackie Robinson in breaking down the colored barriers to Major League Baseball. Audrey Vernick's excellent biography tells his complete story - including his upbringing, service time, Negro league time, and his difficult early days on the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians). As with all of her baseball biographies and stories, it is done artfully and with a sharp angle of dignity which is the way Doby played the game. He was a stellar athlete and citizen who like Jackie Robinson withstood terrible racism and worked hard with his skills to make a mark as a great player - a seven-time all-star as a major league player. This serves as a great classroom read aloud for students of all ages - not only is it a great baseball story, but it is also a great learning opportunity; many of us are well aware of Jackie Robinson's accomplishments, but it is also important to know that he was not alone.
November 19, 2022
I've read a lot of books about Jackie Robinson (I don't like baseball; I don't even know why). That said, All Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball, tops any I've read about Jackie.
We make a big deal of firsts, but seconds can be just as important. Audrey Vernick weaves a wonderful close-up of a boy who felt boxed out of his dreams, but worked hard and faced great persecution on account of his race. As I read about his photo with his white teammate, I thought to myself, "Please say she included the actual photo in the back matter!" Vernick didn't let me down. Such a photo of joy and embracing acceptance brought me to tears. And the story which preceded it gave me to context to appreciate and understand what it meant. Larry Doby teaches us that being second is important, and so is being third and fourth and fifth. Continuing to stand for what is right always matters.
I also love the illustrations by Cannaday Chapman, with their mottled, pastel style. A great addition with a happy, optimistic feel. Change keeps coming. Sometimes it is hard fought. Often, it is good. Sometimes, it feels pretty great.
Read as a nomination in the nonfiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
We make a big deal of firsts, but seconds can be just as important. Audrey Vernick weaves a wonderful close-up of a boy who felt boxed out of his dreams, but worked hard and faced great persecution on account of his race. As I read about his photo with his white teammate, I thought to myself, "Please say she included the actual photo in the back matter!" Vernick didn't let me down. Such a photo of joy and embracing acceptance brought me to tears. And the story which preceded it gave me to context to appreciate and understand what it meant. Larry Doby teaches us that being second is important, and so is being third and fourth and fifth. Continuing to stand for what is right always matters.
I also love the illustrations by Cannaday Chapman, with their mottled, pastel style. A great addition with a happy, optimistic feel. Change keeps coming. Sometimes it is hard fought. Often, it is good. Sometimes, it feels pretty great.
Read as a nomination in the nonfiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
February 18, 2022
I've spent my life listening to my dad lament why Larry Doby never gets the recognition Robinson does and now that he finally has a children's book biography I am so glad it is by the marvelous Audrey Vernick. She doesn't dismiss Doby as being second (although the note of him playing football with Buzz Aldrin is funny) but instead tells the true story of a man who waited his whole life for a chance he thought would never come and made history when a post World Series photo of him celebrating with a white teammate ran in papers around the country and really showed America what baseball looked like. (The actual picture is in the back matter of the book and the actual 1948 logo of the Cleveland Indians is visible on Doby's shoulder in the picture...it is horrifying.)
I just love this book. Exceptionally illustrated, great attention to detail. It is the tribute this baseball pioneer deserves.
I just love this book. Exceptionally illustrated, great attention to detail. It is the tribute this baseball pioneer deserves.
October 28, 2022
I always like learning stuff in picture books. Larry Doby was a new name to me, but now I know about the 2nd Black man in major league baseball, the first one in the American League, the one who hit the winning run in a World Series, the one who played against Buzz Aldrin in high school football (another famous 2nd guy).
I like the illustrations, and how it referenced national norms but focussed on Doby's experiences, noting when they differed from the norm (he played integrated baseball in the south) but showing the variety of possibilities. And noting the slow course of progress, especially with current issue in baseball, including the recent change to the Cleveland Indians' name and mascot.
I like the illustrations, and how it referenced national norms but focussed on Doby's experiences, noting when they differed from the norm (he played integrated baseball in the south) but showing the variety of possibilities. And noting the slow course of progress, especially with current issue in baseball, including the recent change to the Cleveland Indians' name and mascot.
August 31, 2022
Love all these new picture book biographies that are coming out about names that get a little lost in history. A really great one for kids who like baseball, since the main thing driving Larry isn't that he needs his name to be remembered--he just wants to play ball. Relatable. Will be very interesting to kids who are interested in sports since the discrimination players of colour face from fans is still prevalent. Would be great to get kids relating to someone experiencing that when they're still young so they don't participate in it as older fans.
April 5, 2022
This book is a biography of Larry Doby. In Larry's time, there was a lot of segregation when he was growing up but that didn't stop him from doing what he loved. He grew up in a neighborhood where all kids would play. When he got older he got drafted into the Navy after the war he got an opportunity to go into the major leagues in baseball. Although he faced a lot of racism and segregation he managed to get through and become a legend.
October 29, 2022
This is an important account of one of many less publicly lauded individuals whose courage and commitment to equality and fairness moved progress forward after the famous "firsts" among racial barrier-breakers. I learned quite a bit about Larry Doby's path from childhood dreams to exceeding those dreams, as well as the many low and high points along his journey. Well-written with good pacing, and a helpful author note/bibliography in back matter.
February 7, 2022
“The world can be a mess when it’s changing.
But it has started to change.”
“The world doesn’t change all by itself. People change the world. People with strength and confidence.”
How perfectly timely reading this book was before school today. What a marvelous picture book biography reminding us all to persevere.
But it has started to change.”
“The world doesn’t change all by itself. People change the world. People with strength and confidence.”
How perfectly timely reading this book was before school today. What a marvelous picture book biography reminding us all to persevere.
January 5, 2022
What a beautiful& fascinating book about the first African American player in the American League & how he succeeded in fighting the racism he faced and opened the door for change. Love this author & this book!
April 6, 2022
Wonderful illustrations and an inspiring and educational storyline combine. Kids who enjoy sports, especially baseball, are a natural audience, but the story is affecting enough that even non-fans will get into it.
July 20, 2022
Excellent biography picture book about Larry Doby, the first Black baseball player in the American League. Larry Doby's name was not familiar to me so I was glad to learn about him. I think many students will enjoy learning about him, too.
Want to read
March 25, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
January 18, 2022
Great picture book about relatively unknown baseball player Larry Doby who was hired weeks after Jackie Robinson in Major League Baseball. Excellent and informative read.
February 6, 2022
The 2nd Black baseball player in Major League Baseball and the 2nd Black Manager in Major League Baseball.
Like the message that things don't change overnight.
Like the message that things don't change overnight.
March 14, 2022
"We honor the people who lived through impossibly hard times by continuing their fight on the field and off."
December 23, 2023
Great illustrations, moving story
May 27, 2024
What an incredible story, about a man rarely talked about. I’m so glad I read this book.
August 14, 2024
An introduction to Cleveland Indians baseball star, Larry Doby.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews