SATCHEL PAIGE
Lesa Cline-Ransome, , illus. by James E. Ransome. . S&S/Aladdin, $6.99 (40pp) ISBN 978-0-689-85681-5
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Reviewed on: 12/16/2002
Genre: Children's
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- QUILT ALPHABETLesa Cline-RansomeThe husband-and-wife Ransomes (Satchel Paige) skillfully fashion a blue-ribbon ABC book that combines bright, folksy oil paintings and lilting riddle-poems. Continue reading »
- MAJOR TAYLOR, CHAMPION CYCLISTLesa Cline-RansomeThe creators of Satchel Paige turn their attention to African-American cyclist Marshall Taylor, who in 1899 clinched the World Championship title. Cline-Ransome Continue reading »
- Satchel PaigeLesa Cline-RansomeThis first collaboration between a husband-and-wife team offers an informal, anecdotal profile of Leroy ""Satchel"" Paige, one of the all-time great baseball players of the Negro League, the first Continue reading »
- Quilt CountingLesa Cline-Ransome, James Ransome, Chronicle BooksChildren count to 10 and back in Quilt Counting by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illus. by James E. Ransome. This follow-up to Quilt Alphabet celebrates the ways in which a quilt (""a legacy handcrafted"") Continue reading »
- Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-GeorgeLesa Cline-RansomeBorn in Guadeloupe, Joseph Boulogne was the son of a black slave and a white plantation owner of French nobility. When Joseph's family moved to France, he enrolled in school and, despite facing Continue reading »
- Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick DouglassLesa Cline-RansomeDrawing 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. Continue reading »
- Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage as the First Black-and-White Jazz Band in HistoryLesa Cline-RansomeIn 1936, the Benny Goodman Trio became the first interracial band to perform in public, with Benny Goodman (the son of Jewish immigrants) on clarinet and African-American Teddy Wilson on piano (Gene Continue reading »
- Whale Trails, Before and NowLesa Cline-RansomeIn a pensive story about how human perceptions of whales have evolved, modern-day scenes narrated by an African-American girl, whose family conducts whale-watching expeditions, appear alongside Continue reading »
- Freedom’s SchoolLesa Cline-RansomeThe Emancipation Proclamation has been signed; Lizzie’s parents “went to sleep slaves and woke up free.” Now they insist Lizzie and her brother go to the new school built “just for us”—even though it Continue reading »
- My Story, My Dance: Robert Battle’s Journey to Alvin AileyLesa Cline-Ransome, James RansomeThe Ransomes chronicle the struggles and triumphs of African-American ballet dancer turned artistic director Robert Battle, who contributes a foreword. Despite a sometimes difficult youth—he was born Continue reading »
- Just a Lucky So and So: The Story of Louis ArmstrongLesa Cline-Ransome, James RansomeDespite impoverished beginnings, music and a prevailing joie de vivre carried young Louis Armstrong from the streets of New Orleans to the stages of New York City, Hollywood, and Europe. The Ransomes Continue reading »
- Germs: Fact and Fiction, Friends and FoesLesa Cline-RansomeNarrated by a bacterium—“Let me introduce myself. I was born Salmonella (but only my mom calls me that). My friends call me Sam”—this picture book by the Ransomes (Just a Lucky So and So) Continue reading »
- Before She Was HarrietLesa Cline-RansomeThis striking reverse chronology opens with a regal portrait of an elderly Harriet Tubman, after which the Ransomes chart her decades of work in pursuit of equality. “Before she was a Continue reading »
- Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena WilliamsLesa Cline-RansomeHusband-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 Continue reading »
- Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA MathematicianLesa Cline-RansomeCline-Ransome’s picture book biography pays tribute to African-American math prodigy Katherine Johnson, who soared past societal barriers to become one of NASA’s celebrated human computers. In long Continue reading »
- Overground RailroadLesa Cline-RansomeWarm portraiture and vivid writing by married collaborators Cline-Ransome and Ransome (Before She Was Harriet) mark this story of a family’s journey north during the Great Migration. Ruthie Continue reading »
- The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. PayneLesa Cline-RansomeChances were few for young women of color around the Great Depression, but when Ethel L. Payne’s (1911–1991) Chicago high school wouldn’t let a black student work on its newspaper, she got it to Continue reading »
- Of Walden Pond: Henry David Thoreau, Frederic Tudor, and the Pond BetweenLesa Cline-RansomeEmploying free verse to illuminate a lesser-known aspect of history, Cline-Ransome contrasts two notable white men and “dreamers” of Walden Pond: Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), there to write in Continue reading »
- For LambLesa Cline-RansomeThe friendship between two teens, one Black and one white, sets off a series of tragic events in this potent, 1930s Mississippi–set novel by Cline-Ransome (Being Clem), told via multiple Continue reading »
- The Story of the SaxophoneLesa Cline-RansomeA young visionary introduces a new musical sound to the world in an underdog story pulled from lesser-known music history. In early 19th-century Belgium, often bored Joseph-Antoine Adolphe Sax Continue reading »
- Loud and Proud: The Life of Congresswoman Shirley ChisholmLesa Cline-RansomeCline-Ransome and Juanita’s biography of trailblazing Black politician Shirley Chisholm (1924–2005) aptly evokes the “Unbought and Unbossed” woman who shook up U.S. politics. Born Shirley Anita St. Continue reading »
- Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John LewisLesa Cline-RansomeEmploying quotations from their book’s subject, married collaborators the Cline-Ransomes chart the life of civil rights activist and politician John Lewis (1940–2020) from his Alabama childhood, in Continue reading »
- One Big Open SkyLesa Cline-RansomeThree generations of Black women—young Lettie, her mother, and teacher Philomena—take turns narrating a challenging westward journey in this gripping historical verse novel, set in 1879. After Continue reading »
- PEEPERSEve BuntingIn this somewhat sleepy story by the creators of Your Move, the young narrator and his brother, Jim, help their father with his business, bus rides for "Leaf Continue reading »
- UNDER THE QUILT OF NIGHTDeborah HopkinsonDramatic oil paintings and compelling verse-like prose combine to portray the harsh yet hopeful experience of travel along the Underground Railroad. Hopkinson and Ransome revisit the theme of Continue reading »
- BLUISHVirginia HamiltonWhen she starts at a new school, Dreenie feels drawn to a frail classmate, whom everyone calls "Bluish." In a starred review, PW said, "Readers Continue reading »
- VISITING DAYJacqueline WoodsonThis poignant picture book chronicles a joyful girl narrator's hard-to-bear anticipation and special preparations for a journey with her grandmother to see her father. Both text and artwork Continue reading »
- TIME PIECES: The Book of TimesVirginia HamiltonThis uneven work from the late Hamilton juxtaposes a contemporary framework story about young Valena, during the summer before she enters sixth grade, with a number of interconnected " Continue reading »
- BRUH RABBIT AND THE TAR BABY GIRLVirginia HamiltonIn this sparkling Gullah version of a favorite Brer Rabbit story, the immediacy and quirky originality of the late Hamilton's voice make ordinary prose seem quite dull in comparison. The Continue reading »
- UNDER THE QUILT OF NIGHTDeborah Hopkinson"Dramatic oil paintings and compelling verse-like prose combine to portray the harsh yet hopeful experience of travel along the Underground Railroad," wrote Continue reading »
- This Is the DreamDiane Z. Shore, Jessica AlexanderRansome (Satchel Paige ) creates a striking juxtaposition of closely focused paintings and collage borders incorporating powerful historical photographs. These Continue reading »
- Uncle Jed's BarbershopMargaree King MitchellFirst-time author Mitchell crowds several themes--segregation, racism, the Depression, the American Dream--into her enterprising story. Sarah Jean's great uncle Jedediah, ``the only black barber in Continue reading »
- Aunt Flossie's Hats and Crab Cakes LaterElizabeth Fitzgerald HowardPW called this picture book ``an affecting portrait of a black American family,'' also praising Ransome's ``elegant, expressive'' oil paintings. Ages 3-6. Continue reading »
- The Old DogCharlotte ZolotowWith pensive, autumnal oils, Ransome (Aunt Flossie's Hats & Crab Cakes Later) tenderly illustrates this quiet book about the death of a pet. Each full-page painting faces a text page bordered with a Continue reading »
- Sweet Clara and the Freedom QuiltDeborah HopkinsonA courageous slave girl plays an unusual part in the Underground Railroad; in a starred review, PW said, ``This first-rate book is a triumph of the heart.'' Ages 5-10. Continue reading »
- Uncle Jed's BarbershopMargaree King MitchellAt age 79, Uncle Jed, after a lifetime of obstacles (including segregation and the Great Depression), finally realizes his dream of owning a barbershop. ""Convivial descriptions of family life are Continue reading »
- Your MoveEve BuntingBunting, in a markedly different approach from her The Day the Whale Came (reviewed above), collaborates with Ransome (The Creation) on a gripping picture book told through the first-person narrative Continue reading »
- Let My People Go: Bible Stories Told by a Freeman of ColorPatricia C. McKissack, Fredrick McKissack, Jr.In this stunning achievement, the renowned husband-and-wife team sets 12 Old Testament stories in the context of early 19th-century South Carolina, illustrated with Ransome's glorious paintings. As Continue reading »
- The Secret of the StonesRobert D. San SouciRansome's (Uncle Jed's Barbershop) strikingly realistic oil paintings form the backbone for San Souci's (The Talking Eggs) retelling of a folktale from Virginia Holladay's Bantu Tales and based on Continue reading »
- A Pride of African TalesDonna L. WashingtonProfessional storyteller Donna L. Washington brings to life six traditional stories from several African nations in A Pride of African Tales, illus. by James Ransome, including Ghana, Nigeria, Continue reading »
- Freedom Roads: Searching for the Underground RailroadJoyce Hansen, Gary McGowanThe Underground Railroad and one woman's fight for equality are the subjects of two nonfiction volumes. Joyce Hansen and Gary McGowan explore the ways historians have traced the path of the Continue reading »
- Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)Elizabeth Fitzgerald HowardFor Sarah and Susan, a visit to their great-great-aunt Flossie is a literal and figurative feast. After tea and cookies, and before crabcakes, they are permitted to look through Aunt Flossie's Continue reading »
- Red Dancing ShoesDenise Lewis PatrickReturning from a trip, Grandmama brings presents for her family. ``But my present was the most special. It was a pair of the finest, reddest, shiniest shoes that anyone had ever seen,'' declares the Continue reading »
- Sweet Clara and the Freedom QuiltDeborah HopkinsonA compelling story about an African American girl's escape from slavery on a Southern plantation brings power and substance to this noteworthy picture book. When the rigors of cotton-field labor Continue reading »
- Moriah's PondEthel Footman SmothersContinuing the chronicle of Annie Rye, Maybaby and Brat begun in Down in the Piney Woods, Smothers's ebullient new novel centers on the adventures the girls share when they spend a summer in rural Continue reading »
- Bonsey and IsabelMichael J. RosenRosen's (The Greatest Table) characteristically earnest tones turn mawkish in this self-consciously sensitive story. Isabel, an El Salvadoran girl, is adopted by an American couple who live in the Continue reading »
- Freedom's FruitWilliam H. HooksIn an author's note, Hooks explains that this dramatic story, like his The Battle of Belle Dorcas (see p. 63), is based on a ""conjure tale"" he heard as a child in the Low Country of North Carolina. Continue reading »
- The Jukebox ManJacqueline K. OgburnOgburn (The Reptile Ball) reminisces about the jukebox days of the 1950s through a girl's treasured Saturday spent with her grandfather. Donna's Poppaw is ""a jukebox man. He had jukeboxes in dozens Continue reading »
- Quinnie BlueDinah JohnsonJohnson's (Sunday Week) lyrical tale tenderly sketches an African-American girl's relationship with her grandmother. Addressing the older woman, the child asks rhetorical questions that show she is Continue reading »
- How Animals Saved the People: Animal Tales from the SouthTricksters, sages, victims and heroes number among the spirited menagerie featured in this collection of eight folktales from the late gifted singer and raconteur. Rooted in a number of cultures, Continue reading »
- All the Lights in the NightArthur A. LevineBundled up in thick overcoats and scarves, two Jewish boys set off on a long journey to Palestine, hoping to leave behind the persecution of their Russian homeland. Levine's uplifting story--which Continue reading »
- How Many Stars in the Sky?Lenny HortOne warm summer night, the sky is full of stars and a boy can't sleep. His mama is away. After staring out of his window, wondering ``How many stars in the sky?'' he attempts to count them. Outside, Continue reading »
- The Girl Who Wore SnakesAngela JohnsonA classroom visit from a local zookeeper and a collection of animals awakens a girl's interest in snakes in this picture book by Do Like Kyla 's collaborators. Ali is so taken with Silvia, the snake Continue reading »
- My Best ShoesMarilee Robin BurtonFrom barnyard to beach, from city lights to country meadows, this exuberant collaboration features a multicultural cast and a collection of footwear that would put a gleam in Imelda Marcos's eye. Continue reading »
- The CreationJames Weldon JohnsonIllustrating this verse adaptation of the biblical Creation story, Ransome intersperses paintings of natural wonders with scenes of an African American man reciting to an audience of rapt youngsters. Continue reading »
- The WagonTony JohnstonRansome's (Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt; Freedom's Fruit) light-drenched oil paintings set off this poetic tale of a Carolina boy who is born into slavery and longs to be free. The wagon is the Continue reading »
- Rum-A-Tum-TumAngela Shelf Medearis""Every morning when I open my eyes,/ my ears wake up to the street vendors' cries."" The narrator of this buoyant, percussive verse is an African American girl in New Orleans in the early 1900s. Continue reading »
- The WagonTony JohnstonThis ""beautifully constructed"" story about a boy born into slavery and freed after the Civil War gives readers ""an intimate, affecting look at a pivotal time in American history,"" said PW. Ages Continue reading »
- BluishVirginia HamiltonIntegrating third-person narrative with entries from fifth-grader Dreenie's journal, Hamilton (Second Cousins) poignantly traces the evolution of an unusual friendship. When she starts a new school, Continue reading »
- When Grandmama SingsMargaree King MitchellMitchell and Ransome, the team behind Coretta Scott King Honor–winner Uncle Jed’s Barbershop, reunite for another story set in the early 20th century, in which intimate family relationships are set Continue reading »
- The Christmas Tugboat: How the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Came to New York CityGeorge Matteson, Adele UrsoneA girl wakes on a November morning at dawn to accompany her mother and father—a New York Harbor tugboat captain—on a special excursion: to pick up a tow ship carrying the Rockefeller Center Christmas Continue reading »
- This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great MigrationJacqueline WoodsonWoodson’s (Each Kindness) gentle, unpretentious writing and Ransome’s eloquent artwork breathe life into this story of a close-knit African-American family and their pursuit of a better life. The Continue reading »
- My Name Is Truth: The Life of Sojourner TruthAnn TurnerWith plainspoken lyricism, Turner imagines Isabella Baumfree narrating her own story: the violent dehumanization she endured as a slave, her escape from slavery, and how she evolved into the figure Continue reading »
- Granddaddy’s Turn: A Journey to the Ballot BoxMichael S Bandy, Eric SteinIn an emotional story that begins in the South during the height of voter suppression, a boy named Michael joins his grandfather as he prepares to vote for the first time. Yet when the time comes, a Continue reading »
- The Nutcracker in HarlemT E McMorrowFirst-time author McMorrow sets this romantic reimagining of Hoffmann’s holiday ballet in 1920s Harlem, streamlining the plot while tapping into the cultural, musical, and social resonance of the Continue reading »
- Gunner, Football HeroJames RansomeIn the first half of this tale of an aspiring Pee Wee football star, Ransome (What Lincoln Said) has never been funnier or looser. From the very first page, in which the pear-shaped, beak-nosed Continue reading »
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For her debut middle grade historical novel, 'Finding Langston' (Holiday House, Aug.), acclaimed picture-book author Lesa Cline-Ransome was inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s 'The Continue reading »![]()
We asked married collaborators Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome to interview each other about their new picture book, 'Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis,' their Continue reading »
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