To Sit For Change

As a child, depending on your family and when you are born, you are somewhat shielded from events in human history unless they affect you, your family, or friends, personally.  For those growing up in the 1950s, based on the household income, the main form of information was print and radio with television starting to become more popular.  It was not until the 1960s when many homes could afford to own a television.  News was not reported as quickly as it is today, especially given the predominance of social media sites. 

Through the collaboration of esteemed authors and illustrators, nonfiction picture books thankfully disclose and showcase people, events, and the world around us which has not received the attention they deserve.  Above The Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball (Abrams Books for Young Readers, October 6, 2020) written by Jen Bryant with illustrations by Frank Morrison is a fascinating account of a basketball legend who played with a signature new style.  At twenty-five years old he also took a stand against racial discrimination when few had the courage to do so.  His story is one you will long remember.

On a steamy summer day in 1945,

a boy and his brothers

played stickball in the street.

There were other parks hosting a variety of sports, but they were for whites only.  This little boy was black.  His given name, Elgin, represented his father's favorite watch.  At an early age he knew the value of time.  Time and change could work together for good.

At the age of fourteen Elgin and the neighborhood boys finally had a hoop they could use for a game of basketball.  Elgin was not much of a talker; he simply played his best game.  His technique was startlingly unique.  Everyone stopped and stared at Elgin.  He was a natural.  His jumping and leaping earned him the nickname of Rabbit.

Springarn High, an all-black school, was where Elgin starred in organized, indoor sports.  He could do anything from anywhere on the court.  Unable to attend a university in his hometown due to whites only, he headed to the College of Idaho.  People in Idaho were amazed at Elgin's display of basketball skills.  His first winter with the team brought them victories.  Another victory happened at the same time; Rose Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus.

Transferred to Seattle, Elgin continued to make the news with his playing.  So did black students in Arkansas who attended classes in an all-white school.  In 1958 Elgin started playing professional basketball.  It was a hard life with not the same perks or popularity it garners today.  Travel and sleeping accommodations were rarely the best.  While these players struggled, so did a group of young black women and men who chose to sit at a lunch counter in Wichita, Kansas for whites only.

In 1959 Elgin and his team arrived in West Virginia.  They walked away from all the whites only hotels.  Elgin ended up eating a cold meal alone in the guest house they found would house everyone.  When it came time to play the game that night, Elgin refused to dress in his uniform and play.  He sat on the bench during the game.  This action by Elgin Baylor changed the rules of the NBA.  No team would any longer frequent a hotel or restaurant that practiced racial discrimination.  During his career, Elgin Baylor made history with his singular moves on the court.  His move behind the court sidelines in 1959 created a lasting change, a win against practiced prejudices.

Research is evident in the intimate portrait painted by the words written by author Jen Bryant.  Descriptive adjectives and verbs recreate vivid moments in the life of this accomplished sport and activist figure.  At several crucial points in the narrative Jen Bryant repeats key phrases for emphasis.  Small bits of conversational remarks add to the authenticity.  Another superb technique is the parallel of Elgin's achievements with those of other civil rights figures and events.  Here is a passage.

He'd HANG there, suspended, floating like a bird or a cloud,

changing direction, shifting the ball to the other side,

twisting in midair, slashing, crashing,

gliding past the defense, up---up---above the rim.

And with a flick of his wrist,

or a roll off the fingertips,

he put the ball IN.

The way he played was so

different that people

stopped what they were doing

and watched.

Looking at the open dust jacket on the right, front, artist Frank Morrison gives Elgin Baylor a long body to place importance on his abilities on the basketball court.  He was a giant in his maneuvers and overall performance.  Elgin Baylor's body is varnished to shine.  To the left, on the back, an interior image is used.  It's a close-up of Elgin Baylor holding his NBA Rookie of the Year trophy with a sea of spectator faded faces to the left and right of him.

On the book case, a darkened canvas shows a younger Elgin Baylor playing on the basketball court alone at night.  On the left the hoop extends from the upper, left-hand corner with a basketball moving to go through it.  Along the bottom is the presence of a home and city lights in the distance.  On the right Elgin is leaping up and leaning back after the ball releases from his hands.  You can almost hear the air moving with the precision of the throw.

The opening and closing endpapers are a muted, dusty shade of blue mirroring the color of Elgin's uniform with the Lakers.  On the title page, the visual of his uniform number and name provides a background for this player leaping for a shot with one hand on the basketball.  It is a smaller version of the front of the dust jacket.  The verso and dedication pages use the illustration from the book case.

These striking images by Frank Morrison are rendered 

using oil on illustration board.

They are atmospheric, dramatic, poignant, and highly animated.  Their size enhances the narrative and its pacing.  They are single page, edge to edge, and double-page, edge to edge.  Their perspective shifts with the story.  (You will literally get goosebumps and gasp at some of the scenes.)

One of my many, many favorite illustrations, okay two of my many, many favorite illustrations are when Elgin Baylor is younger and first demonstrates his skills, and the day after he sits out the game in protest at West Virginia.  In the first against a pale blue sky with peach and pink clouds Elgin Baylor soars legs spread wide as he leaps, one arm down at his side and the other reaching up as the basketball leaves his fingertips.  Behind and around him is a starburst when the sun catches something shiny.  This is a single-page painting.  In the second scene, across two pages, a group of four black youth are gathered and reading an open newspaper sports pages.  Two are positioned on either side of the gutter.  The intensity in their faces is wonderful.  Behind them are city buildings and a fence indicating their court.  On a pole with a backboard is a wooden bucket held together with metal hoops.

Even after several readings I am astounded at the history taking place in this book when I was only a little girl. (Elgin Baylor retired from the NBA a year before I graduated from high school.)  This title, Above The Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball written by Jen Bryant with illustrations by Frank Morrison is an exquisite nonfiction picture book biography.  The words can be read repeatedly, and the artwork invites scrutiny.  As a read aloud it will not only inform but promote discussions and research.  At the close of the book are an author's note, further book reading, websites, and audio recordings, special sources for young readers, notes, and a detailed timeline.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Jen Bryant and Frank Morrison, please visit their respective websites by following the link attached to their name.  At Jen's site there is a link to preview pages from the book.  Jen Bryant has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  Frank Morrison has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  At the publisher's website is a video with Frank Morrison speaking about the art for this title.  At A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal, Elizabeth Bird, the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system, interviews both the creators of this book. 

UPDATE:  The Horn Book, Five questions for Frank Morrison, February 10, 2021.  It is an informative interview about this title.

What's That You Say

It's easy to see the importance of quotations, phrases and words when entering my home as they hold places of prominence on my walls.  When reading or writing on my laptop several synonym tabs are always open as is an online dictionary.  Words are powerful and permanent.

Though many can have similar meanings, each one depicts a slightly different slant depending on the context in which it is used.  Collaborators, author Jen Bryant and illustrator Melissa Sweet, whose previous titles, A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams (Caldecott Honor winner, 2009) and A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin (2014 Schneider Family Book Award, 2014 Robert F. Sibert Honor winner, 2014 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award) have returned to depict the life of Peter Mark Roget in The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus (Eerdmans Books For Young Readers). Their collected letters and images provide a stunning portrait of a man whose accomplishments will continue to assist others for generations and generations to come.

Peter snuggled deeper into Uncle's lap as the carriage clattered through the valleys of Switzerland.

The death of Peter's father was the beginning of many moves for him, his younger sister Annette, their mother and uncle.  By the age of eight he was beginning his first book, a book of lists.  His mother worried about him constantly especially all his scribbling as she called his writing.  His lists gave him a feeling of contentment and security.

Drawn to the field of science in his teens Peter's favorite book was by another list maker, Linnaeus.  At the age of fourteen Peter entered medical school when his family relocated to Edinburgh, Scotland.  Within five years of dedicated studying, his education was complete.  (I know readers are going to find this nugget of information as astonishing as I did.)

On the advice of his uncle, Peter tutored and toured in France with two teenage sons of a wealthy gentleman prior to beginning his medical practice in Manchester, England.  He was a doctor by day and a creator of lists by night.  Several years later Peter continued as a medical doctor enlarging his practice in London, England.  Always rather shy he began to share his wealth of knowledge through lectures.

From a first draft of a book of word lists in 1805 to the publication of the first Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, Classified and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition in 1852 at the age of seventy-three, Roget married at forty-two and had two children, a daughter and a son.  Although a highly respected member of prestigious societies affiliated with fields of science, Peter Mark Roget continued to maintain his focus on his word collecting.  For his commitment, perseverance and devotion we will always be grateful, appreciative and glad.

Before the narrative begins Jen Bryant includes a quote from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie, illustrating an entire page, making reference to the importance of a thesaurus in Captain Hook's cabin.  Opposite this is a list beginning with Peter Mark Roget's birth date and the word BORN.  A series of words, twenty-one in number, depicting the growth and aging of a man ends with DIED and his death date.  These two introductions to this biography and this man, displayed as if he had written them himself, are clever and utterly perfect.  

Into essential portions of Roget's life, written with intimate details gleaned from research, Bryant places repeated references to his love of books and learning.  She ties these events together with his continuous search for the right word.  Conversations appearing in speech bubbles in addition to the story line contribute to the authenticity and sense of bearing witness to this man's greatness.  Here is a single sample.

The lists helped him remember his lessons.  They also gave him something to do when Mother peppered him with questions.

PETER, YOU'RE PALE! DO YOU NEED SOME AIR?

MON CHER, DO YOU NEED A NAP?

OH, PETER, WON'T YOU EAT SOMETHING?

MAMA, I'M FINE.

Although, to be honest, Peter thought fine wasn't quite the right word.

(Readers are treated to a list of all the words which could be used instead of fine and several meaning a little less than fine.)

On the book case the open volume pictured on the front is extended to the back in a solid color with a blurb centered in the back.  Melissa Sweet's technique of using watercolor, collage and mixed media fans out from the open pages, objects symbolizing all the many words collected by Peter Mark Roget.  The opening endpapers are vertical strips of text, pages and spines from books.  A list of Roget's one thousand words with a shortened plan of classification covers the closing endpapers.

With every single page turn we see Sweet's mastery displayed.  Each item in her illustrations is carefully chosen to compliment the author's text and the focus of Roget's life.  The title page is covered in blocks stacked one on top of the other, displaying letters and chosen subjects, replicating the building of the lists.  Everywhere you look the detail is exquisite. 

One of my favorite illustrations is that highlighting the text quoted above.  Roget is pictured in silhouette thinking fine encased in a bubble.  His other fourteen words are included in distinctive fonts on various papers and even leaves.  Melissa Sweet literally pieces together people's lives with her visuals.  To see these in their original form would be grand, spectacular, marvelous and breathtaking.

I highly recommend, endorse and suggest everyone read and obtain a personal copy of The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus written by Jen Bryant with illustrations by Melissa Sweet.  Classrooms and libraries will want more than one.  A two page List of Events mingles dates of Roget's life with world events giving us a broader viewpoint.  Informative and interesting one page author's note and illustrator's note follow.  A selected bibliography, a list for further reading and sources are listed.  

Be sure to visit Jen Bryant's and Melissa Sweet's websites by following the links embedded in their names.  At Jen Bryant's page for this title you will find extra resource links and a discussion guide.  Here is a link to a post at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast hosted by Julie Danielson where Melissa Sweet talks about her process for illustrating this title.  UPDATE:  This book is part of a trifecta on September 16, 2014. Visit the Nerdy Book Club for a review by Donalyn Miller, Watch. Connect. Read. for an interview of Jen Bryant by John Schumacher and sharpread for an interview of Melissa Sweet by Colby Sharp.  UPDATE:  Here is a five question interview of Melissa Sweet at Eerdlings, Official Blog of Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.  Here are two brand new videos with Melissa Sweet and Jen Bryant speaking with students about this title. (February 24, 2015)

Don't forget to stop by Alyson Beecher's blog Kid Lit Frenzy for see what other great books have been listed this week for the 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

To Catch Your Eye

Rarely when we are living life do we pause enough to think about the importance of  connections made based upon choices; choices made personally or those thrust upon us.  Of the picture book biographies I've read of late, the value of choosing to pursue one's passion regardless of any obstacles has been increasingly apparent.  You have to ask yourself how you would cope with life's detours big and small (some which were handed to them at birth) faced by the people whose life stories are being told.

Then too, I continue to be amazed by the knowledge presented within the pages of this form of children's literature; the power not only to inform but to spark further learning is undeniable.  I have met people I never knew before as well as having my understanding of others strengthened.  Author Jen Bryant and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Melissa Sweet (A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008) have collaborated again in the brilliant biography, A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin (Alfred A. Knopf, January 2013).


On February 22, 1888, the town of West Chester, Pennsylvania, celebrated a holiday.  That day, in that same town, Daniel and Christine Pippin celebrated the birth of their son, Horace.

Early on it was obvious Horace would grow to be a big man; being long of leg and having large hands.  He used his size and strength to help as much as he could with the work involved in raising a growing family.  In the evenings, chores done, he would gather paper and charcoal, recreating his world.

Horace found he loved to draw and people wanted him to draw for them; whether at school, later when earning money to support his family or in the trenches during World War I.  It wasn't just his family or friends who appreciated his drawing.  Before he left school in the eighth grade. he entered and won a contest for his artwork; the prize was two brushes, a box of paints and colored pencils.

As a result of being shot by a sniper when Horace returned home from serving in the war the use of his right arm was not the same.  He could no longer draw. Despite marriage and community service filling his time, the desire to make pictures was so strong one day...a red-hot fire place poker became his brush and a piece of wood became his canvas.

Because Horace chose to overcome his disability, because he chose to painstaking paint a picture over the course of three years, because he chose to display his work in a shoe store in town, someone noticed.  They chose to tell a famous painter.  More than his splash of red would now be displayed for all to see, then and now.


One thing readers notice about the writing of Jen Bryant in this title is her nearly poetic narrative.  Based upon careful research she weaves the true words of his life (quotations of Pippin) with warmth and intimacy into the span of years from 1888, his birth until he and his art became famous.  Her passion for bringing his story to a new audience is evident on every page.  Here is a single excerpt.

As he walked along the streets of West Chester, his fingers itched to draw all the colors and textures he saw:
lacy curtains billowing in the windows,
a splash of red geraniums blooming on a step,
a yellow cat sprinting down an alley,
deep green vines spiraling up a wall.


Using a blend of watercolor, gouache and mixed media Melissa Sweet dedicates this title by saying:

To Jen, whose words make pictures in my mind.

Her matching jacket and cover open to display Horace's winning box of paints on the back with one of his quotes beneath:

Pictures just come to my mind and I tell my heart to go ahead.

The opening endpapers, against a mixture of cream textures, highlight another of his quotes and the tools of his art, brush, pencil, color palette.  The closing endpapers are a stylized map of the United States, red stars marking where Pippin's work can be seen.  Four miniature originals are shown, too.

The merging of colors and textures coupled with a varied layout and design replete with meticulous detail are stunning in their recreation of Horace Pippin's life.  Looking through the windows in the two homes shown is nearly three-dimensional.  Hand lettering the quotations incorporates them seamlessly into each illustration.  In her author's note Jen Bryant remarks about a male cardinal appearing when she visits Horace Pippin's grave.  Careful readers will see the placement of red cardinals within this book by the hand of Melissa Sweet.


It is pure pleasure to read a picture book biography as beautiful as A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin; text and pictures meshing together as if Mother Nature herself had a hand in it.  In the author's note, illustrator's note and an interview here, Bryant and Sweet discuss how they did extensive research together which is not usual.  This link is to a website dedicated to the book including a video about his work narrated by a child.  Random House has provided a Discussion Guide linked here.  The links embedded in Bryant's and Sweet's names are to their individual websites.