Jackie's Bat
Grade 2-4–A fictionalized account of Robinson's first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, as seen through the eyes of Joey, a batboy. He has attended games with his father since he was a toddler, and he's been a fan of dem bums for years. He meets the star player in the locker room on Robinson's first day as a Dodger, and though the man is friendly, Joey remembers that Pops says, it ain't right, a white boy serving a black man. He gives the first baseman the cold shoulder and refuses to clean his shoes as he does for the other players. As Joey watches Robinson endure the prejudice of fans and players on other teams, he comes to admire him both as a ballplayer and a man. Eventually, both the boy and Pops admit that he earned his place in history. An afterword gives more information on Robinson's career and legacy. Pinkney's watercolor illustrations, awash in bright hues and expressive details, enliven the characters with sinewy, curvaceous lines. The slight story is saddled with a simplistic ending, but it merits praise as a thoughtful lesson in tolerance; teachers, in particular, will appreciate it as a jumpstart for discussion.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.