We Are The Ship by Kadir Nelson

Bibliography Nelson, Kadir. WE ARE THE SHIP: THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL. New York: Hyperion Books, 2008. ISBN-12:978-0-7868-0832-8 Plot Summary Nelson’s book follows the rise and fall of Negro League Baseball, ending with the acceptance of African Americans into the sport. Bringing in stories of African American baseball players that are well known like Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson as well as introducing men that are not as well know, Nelson gracefully shows the sport as it finally gained some of the best players, regardless of their race. Critical Analysis This book was simply beautiful. Told in first person, it has the feeling that you’re living the story that’s being told. Each chapter is packed full of information about the men as well as the sport. It uses a lot of quotes that draw the reader in even more. The chapters are numbered like innings as if you were actually at a baseball game. I think my favorite part about the text was the use of quotes at the beginning of each chapter. For example, the 1st Inning has a quote by Satchel Paige: “I ain’t ever had a job, I just always played baseball.” The quotes give a reverence to the story and really tie in the love the men had for the game. Hank Aaron’s Foreword to the book is well written and agrees that Nelson’s book really pays tribute to the men on these teams. He remembers the moments Nelson touches on and feels nostalgic for the memories Nelson presents in this book. The end of the book has a list of Negro Leaguers who made it to the Major Leagues as well as Negro Leaguers who are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Author’s Note at the end gives a more in depth look into Nelson’s feelings about the book and the subject matter. In it, he says, “I have attempted in earnest to present these men (and one woman) in all their dignity, pride, and spiritual strength. They are my heroes.” I believe this is true and that he gives them the upmost dignity in his book. Possibly more moving than the text itself are the illustrations. Nelson goes into painstaking detail to show the men who writes about. The pictures give even more of the sense that Nelson really loves the topic of the book. From the old looking photos of players to the pictures of individual men standing on the field as if they’re looking right into the camera, to the beautiful illustration of a night game, circa 1932, the pictures bring in even more detail. It’s interesting to note it is hard to find a smile on any of the faces of the players. I think it lends to the seriousness the men had towards their sport. I felt Nelson gave illustrations that give his story all the praise and justice it deserves.

Awards and Review Excerpts

• Winner of the Sibert Medal


• Coretta Scott King Author Award, 2009


• Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, 2009

“Beyond celebrating the players' athletic skills and their dignity in the face of discrimination, Nelson doesn't shy away from the ugly complexities of segregation. When teams barnstormed through the South, he writes, "We would have to travel several hundred miles without stopping because we couldn't find a place where we could eat along the way. It's a hurtful thing when you're starving and have a pocket full of money but can't find a place to eat because they 'don't serve Negroes.' " – L.A. Times Book Review “Imagine listening to baseball legends Willie Mays and Ernie Banks swapping stories about their Negro League days as they sit in the stands, munching on peanuts and watching Ken Griffey Jr. launch a curve ball into the stratosphere. That kind of easygoing, conversational storytelling is exactly what Kadir Nelson achieves in this pitch-perfect history of Negro League baseball. “Seems like we’ve been playing baseball for a mighty long time. At least as long as we’ve been free,” the narrator says.” – Horn Book Review "Nelson continues to top himself with each new book. Here, working solo for the first time, he pays tribute to the hardy African-American players of baseball's first century with a reminiscence written in a collective voice—"But you know something? We had many Josh Gibsons in the Negro Leagues. We had many Satchel Paiges. But you never heard about them"—matched to a generous set of full-page painted portraits and stadium views. Generally viewed from low angles, the players seem to tower monumentally, all dark-skinned game faces glowering up from the page and big, gracefully expressive hands dangling from powerful arms. Arranging his narrative into historical "Innings," the author closes with lists of Negro Leaguers who played in the Majors, and who are in the Baseball Hall of Fame, plus a detailed working note. 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.” – Kirkus Review Connections

• Look at other books illustrated by Kadir Nelson: Ellington Was Not a Street by Ntozake Shange, Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, and Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee.


• What else can you learn about Negro League Baseball? Look at Heroes of the Negro Leagues by Jack Morelli and The Biographical Encyclopedia of Negro Baseball Leagues by James A. Riley. • Have students pick a Negro League Baseball player and do a presentation over his life. What did he do before baseball? How long was he in baseball? How far did he get? What teams did he play for?