Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Santiago opens his dazzlingly drawn comics biography of the pioneering Puerto Rican ballplayer on the final game of the 1972 season, with Clemente just one hit shy of joining the 3,000-hit club. Fans will know, of course, that 3,000 would also be his final tally, as he would die in a plane crash delivering relief supplies to the earthquake-rocked Nicaragua that winter. Santiago skitters around formative scenes from Clemente's childhood striking a complex chord of family, homeland, and a driving passion for baseball before tracing significant moments from his professional career: staring down racism with the same resolute demeanor with which he faced a high heater, snagging batting championships and fans' hearts many times over, and always looking for ways to honor his heritage. Nearly every page brings a new compositional marvel, setting energetic, limber figures against stylized photographic backgrounds washed in sepia tones and Pirate-yellow highlights. The in-game sequences, though, are showstoppers, taking advantage of dizzying perspective shifts to capture the fluid, whirling nature of the game as it moves in fits and starts through huge moments of pause into cracking shots of sizzling drama. It's not a comprehensive biography by any means, nor does it try to be one. But for a book that matches the pure athleticism, unshakable compassion, and towering legacy of its subject, look no further.--Chipman, Ia. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Born in Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente overcame family poverty, racial prejudice, and the language barrier to be voted the National League's Most Valuable Player for 1966. With a career batting average of .317 featuring spurts up to .414, he led the Pittsburgh Pirates to two World Series victories. Known for his humanitarian work, Clemente was killed in a 1972 plane crash while on a mission to get medical supplies to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua. Santiago begins in the voice of a fan attending the 1972 game of Clemente's 3000th hit, then jumps back to the champion's childhood and energetic career. Clippings and headlines add perspective throughout. A telling touch: the white speech balloons contain Spanish, while those for English are colored orange, effectively making the Americanos-not the Boricuas-the "other." -VERDICT Puerto Rican-born Santiago's (In My Darkest Hour) limber black-and-white art depicts superbly the kinetic excitement of baseball at its fanwise best, conveying Clemente's skill and warm humanity on and off the diamond. Highly recommended for tweens and up: buy several. Note that the Roberto Clemente Sports City complex in Puerto Rico (http://64.78.33.77/rcsc21/index_en.cfm) encourages donations to carry on his legacy.-M.C. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.