Review by Booklist Review
Born in 1923, Larry Doby grew up loving sports. While still in high school, he played baseball professionally for the Newark Eagles, a Negro League team. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, playing for the Dodgers. Joining the Cleveland Indians, Doby became the second Black player in Major League Baseball and the first in the American League. Acknowledging Robinson's achievements, Vernick points out that while Doby took the field 11 weeks after Robinson, they both endured intense racist hostility from sports fans, rival players, and even teammates. In addition, both were turned away from certain hotels and restaurants on the road. Spotlighting Doby's game-winning home run that ended the 1948 World Series and a famous postgame photo, the narrative focuses on his ability to achieve his dreams through hard work and endurance. Biographical details appear in the back matter. Chapman's digital illustrations feature fine-lined and expressive artwork, interesting textures, and an appealing depiction of Doby growing from an athletic boy to a man who helped pave the way for other Black baseball players.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Larry Doby (1923--2003), the first Black baseball player to play in the American League and the second to play in the major leagues, takes center stage in this picture book biography by Vernick, which opens with the figure's childhood in an unsegregated South Carolina neighborhood. Interspersed with Doby's quotes, and highlighting his milestones in baseball as well as the bigotry he faced, the narrative emphasizes change as an ongoing process: "The door was closed to Black players.... His world didn't even allow him to dream of reaching the major leagues. The world would have to change." Chapman's subtly textured, poster-style digital spreads emphasize stylized figures from varying angles, rendered in a subdued vintage-toned palette. This worthy spotlight on a baseball hero will also serve as a solid discussion opener about ongoing racism and discrimination in sports. Back matter includes an author's note and selected bibliography. Ages 4--7. (Jan.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
In 1947, eleven and a half weeks after Jackie Robinson became the first Black player in Major League Baseball, Larry Doby became the second, and the first in the American League. Doby faced the same racism as Robinson. He was shunned by some of his teammates on the Cleveland Indians. He couldn't stay at whites-only hotels, or even enter the main gates of some stadiums. Opposing players spit on him and called him racist names. But he made a place for himself and was named to the All-Star team seven years in a row. Following her subject from an integrated neighborhood in Camden, South Carolina, to high school football, to the Newark Eagles in the Negro Leagues, Vernick (Brothers at Bat, rev. 3/12; The Kid from Diamond Street, rev. 1/16) provides just the right amount of lively text to complement Chapman's (Feed Your Mind, rev. 1/20) beautifully composed illustrations, especially effective in dramatic angles and shifting viewpoints: sliding into third base with a panoramic view of left field and the stands; a handshake with team owner Bill Veeck; and a back-view image (based on a famous photograph, appended) of a hug shared with pitcher Steve Gromek after a World Series win. This is a balanced account of one player's brilliant achievements and the ongoing struggle for racial equality in sports and society. Back matter includes a bibliography and an author's note detailing the many firsts in Doby's career. Dean Schneider March/April 2022 p.(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Larry Doby was an athletic phenom. Often overshadowed by Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in the National League, Doby deserves his due as the first Black person to play in the American League. As a boy growing up in the 1920s, young Larry dreamed of playing professional baseball long before such opportunities were open to Black people. In his unsegregated South Carolina neighborhood, sports played an important role, bringing families and people of different races together. In high school, Doby flourished athletically and was afforded a spot in the Negro Leagues; nevertheless, he did not see a long-term career in professional baseball as a possibility. After graduating, while serving in the Navy in 1947, Doby changed his mind after learning of the historic signing of Jackie Robinson to the major leagues. The story goes on to describe Doby's pioneering accomplishments as a sportsman as well as the racial discrimination he endured. Chapman's textured digital art effectively makes use of interesting perspectives to create striking visuals, but the text fails at capturing the extent of the racial prejudice Doby had to overcome both on and off the field. The idea that "Change never stops" is a repeated motif, yet the references to social change feel a bit superficial since the book neglects to mention the decadelong campaign Black and White journalists and activists waged to desegregate baseball. An important story that we still have a lot to learn from, but this telling of it at times feels emotionally disconnected. (author's note, selected bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
