We Are The Ship - A Must-Read for Baseball Fans Everywhere

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nelson, Kadir. 2008. We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 978-0-7868-0832-8

SUMMARY

Kadir Nelson presents a powerful look at Negro League Baseball, beginning with its formalized creation by Rube Foster in 1920, through its decline once Jackie Robinson joined the majors in 1947.  Using a narrator who represents the collective voices of the many members of the league, Nelson highlights the talented players, many of whom have never been given the recognition they rightfully deserve.  Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Cool Papa Bell are some of the ones baseball fans may know about, but there were so many more who were all-stars in their own right.  He describes the challenges they faced, from finding restaurants and hotels that would accommodate "colored people" while on the road (sometimes they had no choice but to sleep at the local jail or in funeral homes!), to the hostility and discrimination they would face when playing in white towns.       

Ultimately, though, Nelson's story is one of inspiration.  He describes this amazing baseball league that was built from nothing more than determination, perseverance, and an absolute love of the game.   The players considered themselves fortunate because they got to do what they loved for a living.  The Negro Baseball League drew quite a following, and sometimes the games would attract up to 30,000 fans.  People traveled from all over to see the East-West All Star Game.  When they played white teams in exhibition games, they earned respect from the opposing players; regardless of color, baseball is baseball and talent recognizes talent.

Major league owners eventually took notice of these amazing players, and with the signing of Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945, baseball was no longer a segregated sport.  This led to the ultimate demise of Negro League Baseball.  However, this was truly an important piece of American baseball history, and Nelson has done an amazing job chronicling its story.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

While I am a huge lover of baseball, and an avid Boston Red Sox fan, I admit to not knowing much about Negro League Baseball prior to reading Nelson's book.  I was looking forward to reading it, but I was unprepared for how completely captivated I would become.  The style in which Nelson chose to write his book makes it read more like a fascinating piece of literature than an informational book.  The narrator does not merely list facts.  Rather, he uses imagery to make the readers feel like they are there with him and adds humor to keep the mood light.  For example, when describing Gus Greenlee's team, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, he says, "After home games, his players would go to his restaurant to have dinner and meet the pretty girls who were already there waiting for them.  (Women have always loved ballplayers, you know.)"  Nelson's passion for the subject shines through, and the reader can't help but feel that same enthusiasm, as well.

The book is organized in chronological order, and lends itself to be read cover-to-cover.  That is how I read it and how I believe it makes the most sense.  However, if the reader does not have the time or inclination to do so, Nelson has included an index at the end of the book.  This makes it helpful for the reader to access specific information in the text or the illustrations. 

Nelson's oil paintings are interspersed throughout the book.  These paintings are simply breathtaking.  They help the reader to visualize the people and places that are mentioned in the book.  They also convey strong emotion and are Nelson's way of paying tribute to these heroes of the game.  A collection of original paintings and sketches from We Are The Ship have even been on display at numerous museums throughout the country, including the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Nelson spent many years conducting research for this book.  An author's note at the end explains how he looked at a variety of books, documentaries, films, and websites on the subject of Negro League Baseball to gather information.  These works have been cited in a bibliography and a filmography that are both included in the book.  In addition, he personally interviewed several former players and read first-hand accounts of others.  All of this meticulous research has led to a story that is as accurate as it is enjoyable. 

I was truly taken by the story conveyed in We Are The Ship.  It is recommended for children ages 8 and up, but I feel that this is a story for baseball fans of any age.  Based on my glowing recommendation, my husband is now reading the book, and I am looking forward to discussing it with him.  Recommending a book is the highest compliment I can give to an author, and Nelson deserves that and more for his beautiful story and paintings. 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

2009 Sibert Medal

2009 Coretta Scott King Author Award

2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor

From BOOKLIST - "Award-winning illustrator and first-time author Nelson's history of the Negro Leagues, told from the vantage point of an unnamed narrator, reads like an old-timer regaling his grandchildren with tales of baseball greats Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and others who forged the path toward breaking the race barrier before Jackie Robinson made his historic debut...The stories and artwork are a tribute to the spirit of the Negro Leaguers, who were much more than also-rans and deserve a more prominent place on baseball's history shelves."

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - "In his first outing as author as well as illustrator, Nelson (Ellington Was Not a Street) delivers a history of the Negro Leagues in a sumptuous volume that no baseball fan should be without."

From KIRKUS REVIEWS - "Along with being absolutely riveted by the art, readers will come away with a good picture of the Negro Leaguers' distinctive style of play, as well as an idea of how their excellence challenged the racial attitudes of both their sport and their times."

CONNECTIONS

Have students choose a player from the book and have them conduct research on his life, career, and family and present the information to the class.

Have students do further research on how Negro League baseball impacted segregation and integration during the Civil Rights Era.

Have students learn the different positions in baseball and rules of the game.  Organize them into two teams and have them play a game.  Or, simply have them try to hit a baseball with a bat.

If there is a baseball team near your school, take students to a game.  After, have them write about their experience at the game, using their five senses.

For younger students (ages 7 and up), watch and discuss the 1950 movie The Jackie Robinson Story.  For older children (ages 11 and up), watch and discuss the 2013 movie 42. 

• The Jackie Robinson Story. Jewel Pictures, 1950.
• 42. Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, 2013.