WE ARE THE SHIP
Written and Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
1. 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 9780786808328
2. Plot Summary
This detailed account of African Americans' participation in baseball spans one hundred years from the early days in 1860s until the last days of the Negro Leagues in the 1960s. In the early days, the African American players played in the Major Leagues, but they were targeted and sometimes injured by other players. By 1887, African Americans were no longer allowed on the professional teams. Eventually, Rube Foster created an organized "Negro National League" which had eight teams throughout the Midwest. The League was successful but the players faced racism wherever they went, such as not being able to eat in restaurants or stay in most hotels. These men persevered because "We were ballplayers. There was nothing we would have rather spent our time doing." The players played three to four games some days and spent many hours in cars or buses.
There were many star players in the Negro Leagues, but "its a shame the world didn't get to see them play". Eventually, in 1945, Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and this was the start of baseball becoming integrated. Many more players from the Negro Leagues were signed to the majors and the Negro Leagues could no longer draw a crowd. By 1960, all of the Negro Leagues had folded.
3. Critical Analysis
The conversational style of the narrator is approachable and entertaining, while being highly informative. Nelson's well-researched and detailed account of the Negro League Baseball shows the spirit of the players and their love of the game. It is disheartening to learn that there were so many outstanding players that will not go down in the history books as stars of their game. However, some of these stars are honored through Nelson's sincere writing.
As much as the text is informative and well-written, Nelson's oil paintings are truly breathtaking. Each player stands larger that life evoking the emotion of this historically significant account. The fold-out spread that spans four pages depicting the "First Colored World Series" in 1924 brings the significance of this league to life depicting every player and coach from both teams in one illustration. These oil paintings can actually cause a reader to long for a sunny afternoon watching a baseball game.
The major cultural marker present in We Are the Ship is the historical perspective of the Negro National League and its players. By learning how they were underpaid, treated unfairly, banned from the Major leagues, and faced prejudice when they traveled, the reader can begin to understand the struggles African Americans have faced. The reader can also learn from this text that many African Americans relied on their intelligence or talent to overcome many injustices. With a foreword by Hank Aaron, more information in the Author's Note and a bibliography, a student of baseball history can gain a lot by poring over this text.
4. Review Excerpts and Awards
5. Connections
2. Plot Summary
This detailed account of African Americans' participation in baseball spans one hundred years from the early days in 1860s until the last days of the Negro Leagues in the 1960s. In the early days, the African American players played in the Major Leagues, but they were targeted and sometimes injured by other players. By 1887, African Americans were no longer allowed on the professional teams. Eventually, Rube Foster created an organized "Negro National League" which had eight teams throughout the Midwest. The League was successful but the players faced racism wherever they went, such as not being able to eat in restaurants or stay in most hotels. These men persevered because "We were ballplayers. There was nothing we would have rather spent our time doing." The players played three to four games some days and spent many hours in cars or buses.
There were many star players in the Negro Leagues, but "its a shame the world didn't get to see them play". Eventually, in 1945, Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and this was the start of baseball becoming integrated. Many more players from the Negro Leagues were signed to the majors and the Negro Leagues could no longer draw a crowd. By 1960, all of the Negro Leagues had folded.
3. Critical Analysis
The conversational style of the narrator is approachable and entertaining, while being highly informative. Nelson's well-researched and detailed account of the Negro League Baseball shows the spirit of the players and their love of the game. It is disheartening to learn that there were so many outstanding players that will not go down in the history books as stars of their game. However, some of these stars are honored through Nelson's sincere writing.
As much as the text is informative and well-written, Nelson's oil paintings are truly breathtaking. Each player stands larger that life evoking the emotion of this historically significant account. The fold-out spread that spans four pages depicting the "First Colored World Series" in 1924 brings the significance of this league to life depicting every player and coach from both teams in one illustration. These oil paintings can actually cause a reader to long for a sunny afternoon watching a baseball game.
The major cultural marker present in We Are the Ship is the historical perspective of the Negro National League and its players. By learning how they were underpaid, treated unfairly, banned from the Major leagues, and faced prejudice when they traveled, the reader can begin to understand the struggles African Americans have faced. The reader can also learn from this text that many African Americans relied on their intelligence or talent to overcome many injustices. With a foreword by Hank Aaron, more information in the Author's Note and a bibliography, a student of baseball history can gain a lot by poring over this text.
4. Review Excerpts and Awards
BOOKLIST (February 2008) "If the story is the pitch, it's the artwork that blasts the book into the stands. Nelson often works from a straight-on vantage point, as if the players took time out of the action to peer at the viewer from history, eyes leveled and challenging, before turning back to the field of play. With enormous blue skies and jam-packed grandstands backing them, these players look like the giants they are."
HORN BOOK GUIDE (June 2008) "That easygoing conversational storytelling is what Nelson achieves in this pitch-perfect history of Negro League baseball. His extensive research yields loads of attention-grabbing details."
5. Connections
- This is an excellent mentor text when studying the narrative nonfiction genre.
- Students that enjoyed We Are the Ship could also read Kadir Nelson's Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans.
- An interested reader could use the facts and dates from the text to create a timeline of the Negro Leagues.
