Search results for ""Author James E Ransome""
Holiday House Inc New Red Bike
Book Synopsis
£7.59
Puffin Books Visiting Day
Book SynopsisIn this moving picture book from multi-award winning author Jacqueline Woodson, a young girl and her grandmother prepare for a very special day--the one day a month they get to visit the girl's father in prison. Only on visiting day is there chicken frying in the kitchen at 6 a.m, and Grandma in her Sunday dress, humming soft and low. As the little girl and her grandmother get ready, her father, who adores her, is getting ready, too, and readers get to join the community of families who make the trip together, as well as the triumphant reunion between father and child, all told in Woodson's trademark lyrical style, and beautifully illusrtrated by James Ransome.
£8.54
Simon & Schuster Freedom Bird
Book Synopsis“Powerful storytelling and immersive art.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Vibrant writing and magical realism lift this story to one of triumph.” —Publishers Weekly “Nolen''s lively prose style recalls the richness of the oral tradition in this tale of triumphant courage and abiding hope.” —The Horn Book “A moving choice for children’s collections.” —Booklist A Parents’ Choice Silver Award Recipient In this inspiring story in the tradition of American black folktales, an enslaved brother and sister are inspired by a majestic and mysterious bird to escape to freedom in this dramatic and unforgettable picture book.There was nothing civil about that war. They should have called it what it was: a big, bad war. Brother and sister Millicent and John are slaves on Simon Plenty’s plantation and have suffered one hurt and heartbreak after another. Their parents had told them old tales of how their ancestors had flown away to freedom just as free and easy as a bird. Millicent and John hold these stories in their hearts long after their parents are gone. “Maybe such a time will come for you,” their parents said. Then one day a mysterious bird appears in their lives. The bird transforms them and gives them the courage to set their plan into motion and escape to freedom.Trade ReviewThe intimate, compelling voice that Nolen (Calico Girl) creates for this story about two enslaved children begins matter-of-factly—“Now you know even before I tell you there was nothing civil about that war”—and stays strong throughout. Heartbreak strikes John and Millicent early as their parents, Samuel and Maggie, are sold—but not before they have planted in their children the vision of freedom, which they tie to images of birds in flight: “Because there is beauty and music in the flight of birds—listen for the song. It is a song for the soul.” Ransome (The Bell Rang) paints the children toiling in vast tobacco fields during the day. An overseer knocks a majestic black bird out of the sky with his whip, the children retrieve it under a full moon, and though John is taken to another plantation for months, Millicent is able to watch it heal: “Its feathers, black as jet, seemed to glow like burning coals.” When John returns, fate and the bird give the children a chance at freedom, an escape to the “wide-open spaces of the West” that takes on legendary dimensions. Vibrant writing and magical realism lift this story to one of triumph. Ages 5–9. (Jan.) -- Publishers Weekly * September 23, 2019 *Nolen presents an original story about flight and freedom—the former an enduring motif, the latter a recurrent theme, in African American folklore. Millicent and John worked alongside their parents and other enslaved people on Simon Plenty's plantation. Before their parents had been sold away, "back in the long-ago days," they told the children about how "our people could fly away to freedom as free and easy as any bird," a dream John and Millicent carry with them during the long hours of labor in the fields. One day, a majestic bird circling above catches the attention of the overseer, who rips it from flight with a swift snap of his whip. That night, worrying about the bird and forbidden to care for it, the children nevertheless race through the darkness to save it and begin nursing it back to health. The next day brings the news that John has been hired away, leaving Millicent along, for months, to care for the bird. While John is absent, the bird and Millicent develop a special bond that strengthens her resolve for flight: "It felt to Millient that she had grown her own wings and she could indeed fly." When John returns and the children learn that he is soon to be sold to another plantation, they decide to escape, following the bird westward toward freedom. Nolen's lively prose style recalls the richness of the oral tradition in this tale of triumphant courage and abiding hope. Ransome's acrylic paintings masterfully capture the mood of the story through dramatic images: the children running, the bird in flight. -- The Horn Book -- Horn Book Magazine * January/February 2020 *Set not long before the Civil War, Nolen's latest picture book portrays the inhumane subjugation of the enslaved Wheeler family, particularly the young brother and sister, John and Millicent, in an ageappropriate way while also illustrating their heart-felt desire for emancipation. After their parents are sold from their plantation, the children are forced to do the work of adults from sunup to sundown while holding on to the “seeds of freedom” planted in their hearts and minds. The poignant imagery of slaves flying away like birds to make themselves free resonates with Millicent and John even more deeply once they rescue a large crane that was injured by the overseer of the farm. After learning of John’s impending sale to a plantation further south, the children decide to “make themselves free” and follow the bird west to deliverance as a mysterious storm keeps their pursuers at bay. Ransome's saturated, realistic paintings highlight the siblings’ fear and determination, humanizing their suffering while underscoring the bravery it took to seek liberty. A moving choice for children's collections. -- Booklist -- Booklist * January 1, 2020 *
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and
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£9.49
Holiday House Inc Just a Lucky So and So
Book SynopsisHe was born Black, poor, and lucky. The glowing story of Satchmo—the great jazz musician, Louis Armstrong.Louis Armstrong has been called the most important improviser in the history of jazz. Although his New Orleans neighborhood was poor in nearly everything else, it was rich in superb music. Young Louis took it all in, especially the cornet blowing of Joe King Oliver. But after a run-in with the police, 11-year-old Louis was sent away to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys where he became a disciplined musician in the school’s revered marching band.Ultimately, he was to travel the world from Chicago to Paris and would transform jazz through his improvised singing (scatting) and masterful trumpet playing. He played with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and other jazz greats of his day. Armstrong was the first African-American man to host a national radio show, and the first jazz musiciain to write an autobiography.Thi
£9.55
Holiday House Inc Before She Was Harriet
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£8.54
Holiday House Inc Just a Lucky So and So
Book SynopsisHe was born Black, poor, and lucky. The glowing story of Satchmo—the great jazz musician, Louis Armstrong.Louis Armstrong has been called the most important improviser in the history of jazz. Although his New Orleans neighborhood was poor in nearly everything else, it was rich in superb music. Young Louis took it all in, especially the cornet blowing of Joe King Oliver. But after a run-in with the police, 11-year-old Louis was sent away to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys where he became a disciplined musician in the school’s revered marching band.Ultimately, he was to travel the world from Chicago to Paris and would transform jazz through his improvised singing (scatting) and masterful trumpet playing. He played with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and other jazz greats of his day. Armstrong was the first African-American man to host a national radio show, and the first jazz musiciain to write an autobiography.Thi
£16.14
Disney Publishing Worldwide Light in the Darkness
Book SynopsisRosa and her mama go to school together-in the dark of night, silently, afraid that any noise they hear is a patroller on the lookout for escaped slaves. Their school is literally a hole in the ground, where they and other slaves of all ages gather to form letters out of sticks, scratch letters in the dirt, and pronounce their sounds in whispers. Young Rosa is eager to learn the letters and then the words, because after the words comes reading. But she must have patience, her mama reminds her, and keep her letters to herself when she''s working on the plantation. If the Master catches them, it''ll mean a whipping-one lash for each letter. No matter how slow and dangerous the process might be, Rosa is determined to learn, and pass on her learning to others.
£15.19
Holiday House Inc The Creation 25th Anniversary Edition
Book SynopsisAn award-winning retelling of the Biblical creation story from a star of the Harlem Renaissance and an acclaimed illustrator.
£7.99
Holiday House Inc Overground Railroad
Book SynopsisA window into a child''s experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators of Before She Was Harriet and Finding Langston.Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North-- one she can''t begin to imagine. Stop by stop, the perceptive young narrator tells her journey in poems, leaving behind the cotton fields and distant Blue Ridge mountains. Each leg of the trip brings new revelations as scenes out the window of folks working in fields give way to the Delaware River, the curtain that separates the colored car is removed, and glimpses of the freedom and opportunity the family hopes to find come into view. As they travel, Ruth Ellen reads from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, reflecting on how her journey mirrors her own-- until finally the train arrives at its last stop, New York''s Penn Station, and the family heads out into a night filled with br
£17.09
Random House USA Inc Sky Boys How They Built the Empire State Building
Book SynopsisThe unbeatable team of Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome present a riveting brick-by-brick account of how one of the most amazing accomplishments in American architecture came to be. Join a young boy as he watches the Empire State Building being constructed from scratch, then travels to the top to look down on all of New York City in 1931. Hopkinson, a master of historical fiction, and Ransome, an award-winning illustrator, dazzle us with this ALA Notable and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book.
£10.35
Holiday House Inc The Creation 25th Anniversary Edition
Book SynopsisAn award-winning retelling of the Biblical creation story from a star of the Harlem Renaissance and an acclaimed illustratorJames Weldon Johnson, author of the civil rights anthem Lift Ev''ry Voice and Sing, wrote this beautiful Bible-learning story in 1922, at the height of the Harlem Renaissance. Set in the Deep South, The Creation alternates breathtaking scenes from Genesis with images of a country preacher under a tree retelling the story for children. The exquisite detail of James E. Ransome''s sun-dappled paintings and the sophisticated rhythm of the free verse pay tribute to Black American oral traditions of country sermonizing and storytelling: As far as the eye of God could see/ Darkness covered everything/ Blacker than a hundred midnights/ Down in a cypress swamp. . . .This beautiful new edition of the classic Coretta Scott King Award winner features a fresh, modern design, a reimagined cover, and an introduction of the remarkable life of
£13.29
HarperCollins Publishers Inc How Many Stars in the Sky
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£8.54
Candlewick Press,U.S. Northbound A Train Ride Out of Segregation
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£16.19
Holiday House Inc Overground Railroad
Book SynopsisA window into a child''s experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators of Before She Was Harriet and Finding Langston.Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North--one she can''t begin to imagine. Stop by stop, the perceptive young narrator tells her journey in poems, leaving behind the cotton fields and distant Blue Ridge mountains.Each leg of the trip brings new revelations as scenes out the window of folks working in fields give way to the Delaware River, the curtain that separates the colored car is removed, and glimpses of the freedom and opportunity the family hopes to find come into view. As they travel, Ruth Ellen reads from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, reflecting on how her journey mirrors her own-- until finally the train arrives at its last stop, New York''s Penn Station, and the family heads out into a night filled with brig
£7.99
Holiday House Inc Before She Was Harriet
Book SynopsisWho was Harriet Tubman before she was Harriet?We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime she was called by many names. As General Tubman she was a Union spy. As Moses she led hundreds to freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Minty she was a slave whose spirit could not be broken. As Araminta she was a young girl whose father showed her the stars and the first steps on the path to freedom.An evocative poem and stunning watercolors come together to honor a woman of humble origins whose courage and compassion make her a larger than life hero.A lush and lyrical biography of Harriet Tubman, written in verse and illustrated by James Ransome, winner of the Coretta Scott King medal for The Creation.A Junior Library Guild SelectionA Coretta Scott King Honor BookA Christopher Award winnerA Jane Addams Children''s Honor BookA Booklist Top of the List selection
£16.14
Holiday House The Story of the Saxophone
Book SynopsisBrassy, smokey, melodious. There's nothing like the saxophone. This incredible work from the award-winners behind Before She was Harriet includes a poster of jazz music's greatest talents.You may think that the story of the saxophone begins with Dexter Gordon or Charlie Parker, or on a street corner in New Orleans. It really began in 1840 in Belgium with a young daydreamer named Joseph-Antoine Adolphe Sax—a boy with bad luck but great ideas.Coretta Scott King Honoree Lesa Cline-Ransome unravels the fascinating history of how Adolphe's once reviled instrument was transported across Europe and Mexico to New Orleans. Follow the saxophone's journey from Adolphe's imagination to the pawn shop window where it caught the eye of musician Sidney Bechet and became the iconic symbol of jazz music it is today. Deflty retold, this history is paired with the gorgeous artwork of James E. Ransome, including an attention-grabbing poster of ic
£16.14
Candlewick Press,U.S. Northbound: A Train Ride Out of Segregation
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£8.54
Candlewick Press,U.S. Granddaddys Turn
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£17.09
Candlewick Press,U.S. Granddaddy's Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box
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£7.99
Simon & Schuster Baby Blessings
Book SynopsisSynopsis coming soon.......
£14.30
Atheneum Books for Young Readers Under the Quilt of Night
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£16.99
Atheneum Books The Bell Rang ALA Notable Childrens Books Younger
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£17.09
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Peepers
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£7.59
Aladdin Paperbacks Under the Quilt of Night
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£7.59
Simon & Schuster Hardcourt: Stories from 75 Years of the National
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£18.99
Simon & Schuster Gridiron
Book SynopsisTrade Review* "Sports enthusiasts of any age are sure to find it a winner...a touchdown." * Shelf Awareness, starred review *
£18.99
Clarion Books Your Move
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£999.99
Simon & Schuster Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis
Book SynopsisFive starred reviews! The “informative, resounding” (Booklist, starred review), and “inspiring” (The Horn Book, starred review) story of a groundbreaking civil rights leader John Lewis comes to life in this compelling and beautifully told, “excellent” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) nonfiction picture book by the award-winning team Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome.John Lewis left a cotton farm in Alabama to join the fight for civil rights when he was only a teenager. He soon became a leader of a movement that changed the nation. Walking at the side of his mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis was led by his belief in peaceful action and voting rights. Today and always his work and legacy live on.Trade Review*"A deeply informative biography of the great civil rights leader, John Lewis, is added to this team’s award-winning bibliography. Careful, lively details will draw readers into Lewis’s story.... A strong biography on John Lewis, this is a highly recommended volume will complement the civil rights shelves as well as collections on Black Americans who worked within and occasionally outside the political establishment but always for the good of the country." -- School Library Journal, (starred review) * 1/19/2024 **"A kid-lit powerhouse team delivers a warm tribute to a civil rights icon known for making good trouble. ... Lewis’ life and work will feel immediate and deeply personal to readers. An excellent depiction of a life lived with purpose." -- Kirkus, (starred review) * 11/15/2023 **"Ransome’s distinctive illustrations, created with a combination of found, printed, and purchased paper with pencil drawings, perfectly match Cline-Ransome’s telling and dramatically radiate the magnitude of Lewis’s influence." * The Horn Book, (starred review) **"The creators offer a thoroughly contextualized account of the racial segregation Lewis experienced, his work in nonviolent resistance at the Nashville chapter of the NAACP, his involvement with the Freedom Riders, and his famously standing “for everyone who needed someone to stand up for what was right." * Publishers Weekly, (starred review) **"An informative, resonating entry point to learn about Lewis and his continuing impact. " * Booklist, (starred review) *
£18.04
Simon & Schuster Major Taylor Champion Cyclist
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£14.84
Simon & Schuster Words Set Me Free
Book SynopsisThe inspirational, true story of how Frederick Douglass found his way to freedom one word at a time.This picture book biography chronicles the youth of Frederick Douglass, one of the most prominent African American figures in American history. Douglass spent his life advocating for the equality of all, and it was through reading that he was able to stand up for himself and others. Award-winning husband-wife team Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome present a moving and captivating look at the young life of the inspirational man who said, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”Trade ReviewWords Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass Lesa Cline Ransome, illus. by James E. Ransome. S&S/Wiseman, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4169-5903-8 Drawing from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the Ransomes (Before There Was Mozart) create a powerful biographical account of the anti-slavery crusader, writer, and orator’s early life. Writing from Douglass’s first-person perspective, Lesa Cline Ransome plainly relays the inhuman treatment of plantation slaves—“even the animals were rested in the heat of the afternoon sun, and they were never whipped bloody for being too tired or too sick or too slow”—and expresses how learning to read was a catalyst for Douglass’s liberation. “I bought my first newspaper and learned new words—liberty, justice, and freedom.... These were the words my master would never want me to see.” Ransome’s acrylic and oil paintings combine striking naturalism with a palette of inky greens and blues; after Douglass uses his writing skills to forge a letter from his master releasing him, a final spread shows him looking boldly toward the North Star. Though an author’s note explains that Douglass did not successfully escape that night (but did three years later), the story concludes with a sense of hope and determination. Ages 5–9. --Publishers Weekly, November 28, 2011, *STARRED REVIEWFrederick Bailey, who would later change his surname to Douglass, relates his early years, from first vague memories of his mother, who walked through the night to visit her sleeping son on a neighboring plantation; through his childhood, with his service leased to the Auld family of Baltimore; to his first attempt to make an escape from Talbot County, Maryland. The narration is dignified and tightly focused on the way learning to read both inspired and enabled young Frederick to plan for a life of freedom in the North. The depiction of the risk involved for a slave to achieve literacy is particularly well handled for a picture-book audience. Tales of cruel punishment for slaves who could read distract Frederick as Mrs. Auld teaches him his letters; he later uses religious services as a cover for passing his skill on to fellow slaves. This chapter in Douglass’ story concludes with his forgery of a pass, written “in a firm and steady hand,” which would allow him to “walk right out of Talbot County and into freedom up north.” James Ransome’s oil and acrylic paintings underscore young Frederick’s determination and independent spirit, and their interplay with the text leaves readers with the strong impression that, once he had mastered the written word, Frederick’s labors in town and fields were only going to be unfortunate layovers on his unstoppable journey to freedom. A concluding note explains that the forged-pass plan never came off, and it would be several more years before Douglass escaped to New York. However, even children unacquainted with Douglass the abolitionist will somehow sense that nothing is going to keep young Frederick Bailey in bondage. A brief timeline and list of sources are included. --BCCB, February 2012 * --BCCB, February 2012 *Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass By Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E. Ransome (Paula Wiseman; ISBN 9781416959038; January 2012; Spring catalog p. 2) The author and illustrator, a husband-and-wife team who collaborated previously on “Satchel Paige,” base their biography of young Douglass on his “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” Using the first person, they describe Douglass’s arduous early life as the spurned son of his master, forced to live apart from his slave mother. Visceral, intimate and plainly told, this story is sure to move young children, and also motivate them to read more. --New York Times Book Review, February 12, 2012"This talented team has created a concise, accessible, beautifully illustrated book based on Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Rich acrylic and oil paintings depict plantation life (poorly clothed slave children kneeling before troughs, devouring cornmeal mush like livestock) and the strong emotions of the people (a young Frederick being transported with hands tied behind his back, lest he escape). This handsome volume is recommended for slightly older audiences than William Miller and Cedric Lucas’s Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery (Lee & Low, 1995)."--School Library Journal, January 2012 *STARRED REVIEW
£12.99
Simon & Schuster On Her Wings: The Story of Toni Morrison
Book SynopsisDiscover the early life and legacy of groundbreaking American writer Toni Morrison in this beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book biography.Born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in Ohio, Toni Morrison grew up listening to her family tell myths, legends, and stories from the Bible. She loved hearing the music and power of the words. Toni also heard new stories from the students from other countries who went to her school. After an early childhood of soaking up tales from those around her, it was no surprise Toni grew into a voracious reader. She worked at her town library as a teenager and was an editor for a New York publisher as an adult. When it came time for her to write her own stories, she knew she wanted to write about her people—Black people. Early in the morning and late at night after her children were asleep, Toni began work on what would become an acclaimed and trailblazing body of work. This luminous picture book has back matter with further reading on Toni Morrison’s life and work.Trade Review Gr 2-5–Toni Morrison was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford. At an early age she fell in love with words, melodies, stories, and the rhythm and rhyme of music. She went on to Howard University, where she changed her name to Toni because it was easier to pronounce. She eventually taught at Cornell and at her alma mater. There she met and married her husband. Soon after the birth of her second son, Morrison’s marriage failed, and she moved to New York City for a fresh start as an editor. During the day she edited others’ work; at night, after her children went to bed, she would write her own. At age 39, she published her first novel. Though the world knew her as Toni Morrison, she insisted that Chloe Wofford was the one who won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first Black woman to do so. Her books often focused on Black history and motherhood, race, and skin color, and she sought to empower her people. Her stories inspired others to do the same. This lyrical biography about Morrison’s accomplishments and legacy has a reverential tone, putting the groundbreaking author on a well-deserved pedestal. This title honors her memory and the sheer enormity of her life’s work. A perfect complement, Ransome’s painterly illustrations—done in watercolor and collage—shine with a beatific light. Remarks about her books and Morrison herself float in the background. Back matter includes an author’s note, further reading, and a selected list of her awards and books published. VERDICT An awe-inspiring picture book biography about an outstanding storyteller. -- School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW * 12/23/2022 *
£11.04
Holiday House Inc Benny Goodman Teddy Wilson Taking the Stage as
Book SynopsisTeddy Wilson and Benny Goodman broke the color barrier in entertainment when they formed the Benny Goodman Trio with Gene Krupa. Here is the story of how two musical prodigies from very different backgrounds grew up, were brought together by the love of music, and helped to create the jazz style known as swing.
£16.14
Aladdin Paperbacks Satchel Paige
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£8.54
Atheneum Books for Young Readers Joltin Joe DiMaggio
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£16.19
Simon & Schuster Let My People Go
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£22.39
Simon & Schuster Game Changers
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe lively narrative . . . focuses on [Venus and Serena Williams's] determination to succeed and their close relationship. Ransome uses cut paper, pencil, and acrylic paints for pictures that are varied and energetic. -- Kirkus ReviewsThe story of record-breaking tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams has some- thing for everyone: they’re sports superstars, civil rights champions, and fiercely loyal and hypercompetitive sisters. . . . [T]his account celebrates their amazing, uplifting career journey and hard-won success. -- BCCBThe acclaimed Ransome husband–and–wife duo move from the historical to the present-day with this story of African American sisters Venus and Serena Williams, who changed the game of tennis with their prowess and determination. . . . Clear writing, aninviting layout, collage-style pictures, and quotes from the sisters and their parents make this nonfiction format accessible for emerging and more confident readers. Cut paper, pencil, and acrylic paints blend seamlessly to create beautiful bold, colorful illustrations in tribute to two amazing athletes. . . . Will appeal to children and sports fans of all ages. -- Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*This lovingly crafted picture book biography centers on the incredible bond between Venus and Serena Williams and one of their signature accomplishments: being the first two sisters in tennis history to rank numbers one and two in the world. . . . Fans of tennis will be in for a treat as Cline-Ransome recounts the Williams’s matches with thrilling detail. . . . An important selection for biography and sports collections. -- School Library Journal *STARRED REVIEW*Wife-and-husband team Cline-Ransome and Ransome celebrate tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, focusing on their formative childhoods and the way their preparation and talent fundamentally changed the game. Cline-Ransome’s chronological account begins with the sisters’ pre-dawn practices in Compton, California, sweeping the public courts of garbage and broken glass before applying themselves with phenomenal dedication (“By the time Venus was four she could hit five hundred tennis balls at every practice”; “When gunshots rang out in the distance, [their father] Richard reminded them, ‘Never mind the noise. Just play’”). As they grow and improve, moving from their family’s private coaching to the professional tour, they become the dominant force in women’s tennis and find themselves playing against each other with increasing frequency. Ransome’s detailed collages reflect this shift. Early illustrations show the girls close together, dressed in like colors with similar hairstyles. As the story progresses, the sisters are positioned apart, wearing different colors, until as young women they find themselves on opposite sides of the net, their separation emphasized by the book’s low, wide trim size. The final spread, showing them on the same side of the net, holding hands, after Serena bested Venus in the 2002 French Open, communicates the sisters’ ultimate devotion to each other. Thorough back matter—including an afterword, source notes, a selected bibliography, and further reading—is appended. -- Horn Book Magazine, STARRED REVIEW * July/August 2018 *Husband-and-wife team James E. and Lesa Cline-Ransome (Before She Was Harriet) offer a powerful portrayal of the sisters and tennis legends. Growing up in Los Angeles, Venus and Serena played tennis in the courts of East Compton Park, where neighborhood gunshots sometimes interrupted their practice. The book follows their move onto professional courts, where they drew attention for their raw talent and expressive styles, as well as their unfortunate treatment by some watchers, who “threatened, booed, and taunted” the sisters for their skin tone. Cline-Ransome conveys the sisters’ affection and competitiveness, emphasizing how Serena remained one step behind Venus until the 2002 French Open, when “a victorious Serena stepped out of the shadow of her sister.” Yet the sisters are pictured standing side-by-side for Serena’s win: “ ‘Nothing can keep me from celebrating when my best friend wins a match,’ Venus said proudly.” Ransome’s sophisticated portraiture captures a likeness of the two athletes, while spreads feature playfully stylized cut-paper collage accents—visuals that enhance this tribute to sisterhood, athletics, and determination. -- Publishers Weekly * June 18, 2018 *Award-winning author/illustrator team Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome's newest nonfiction picture book pays tribute to two of the world's most impressive athletes: tennis stars and sisters Venus and Serena Williams. . . . The illustrations glory in the sisters' brown skin and colorful clothing, making them prominent "in a sea of white tennis attire, white fans, and white opponents." Every page is splashed with vibrant color and eye-catching patterns, and the figures of the women themselves are full of energy, speed and tension. An afterword, selected bibliography and source notes round out this incredible tennis life story of "two of the most popular athletes in history." -- Shelf Awareness for Readers **STARRED REVIEW
£15.29
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books My Story My Dance Robert Battles Journey to Alvin
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£16.99