We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

I'm not much of a baseball fan, but I am completely blown away by this book.  At one level, this is an engaging history of the Negro Leagues, with the author adopting the narrative voice of an old-time player who's seen it all and is happy to sit back and share it with us. But the illustrations are what truly dazzle.  The many full-on portraits of the players - including Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Jackie Robinson - let each man's dignity and personality shine through.  They look like heroes.  And Nelson's two-page spread featuring a 1932 night game is so realistic, so softly luminous, that you can almost feel the evening dew settling against your skin.

 

Check out We Are the Ship and discover everything that an illustrated book can be.