Words and Paintings by Kadir Nelson | EPPL

Words and Paintings of Kadir Nelson

This is one of the greatest children's books I've ever read.  Reading that thought back to myself it doesn't even sound right to place a label on this work of art as a "children's book".  This year I got the chance to watch the film 42 through my first Red Box rental and wrote a review about it click here... Initially, I was searching for a book about "basketball history" for my nephew when I stumbled across this text.  It's a little bit ahead of my nephew's reading level so I decided to check it out for myself.  

Prior to this text, I didn't know enough (if anything) about Negro League Baseball... other than what I learned in the first few moments of the Jackie Robinson film, and pieces of information I use to pick up here & there about Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson through references in Spike Lee joints...sometimes (though rarely) television networks like ESPN would highlight a footnote about a player or important moment...  Even all the 30 for 30 documentaries I've seen on Netflix... not one about a legend from the Negro Leagues.  I've never been as deep into baseball as I was other sports, but as a kid we loved to play stick ball (or soft ball in Middle phys-ed) and collect all the trading cards... My father on the other hand has plenty of stories having met Willie Mays during his youth with his twin brother.  Some players I know of having grown up in a neighborhood where all the streets are named after baseball hall of fame players.  

Starting with the front cover, We are the Ship, the Story of Negro League Baseball, pulls you in.  The oil painting depicting Josh Gibson is powerful.  While most children's books I've read have an author & artist (two different people) as you begin your journey through the oil paintings with the pitch strike on the title page and Mr. Buck O'Neil followed by a painting I'd turn into a poster for my wall if I could (of the Monarchs) and on to a rich painting of Hank Aaron who writes the foreword... immediately, I began planning the next moment I could spend time reading EVERY... SINGLE... WORD by Nelson while examining EVERY... SINGLE ... PAINTING by Nelson. 

I've held on to this book for two check out cycles and will return it to the El Paso Public Library today.  While there is so much to say about the book, at the end of the read it inspired my interest to learn more about all the athletes Nelson illustrates & introduces to readers.  Each painting taught me something new.  It's a book that took time in its research and presentation and one of those lifetime achievements meant to be introduced to the world by a very specific person.  It's similar to how I felt about Chadwick Boseman's portrayal of Jackie Robinson in 42.  Sometimes certain things in this world wait on the person and the moment for which the message is intended to be delivered.  And with We are the Ship, Kadir Nelson creates a true gift that visually preserves what's been kept from readers... youth and elder alike.  

Below I've included a YouTube video that features Kadir Nelson as well as a website.  In the keywords below you'll find names of several of the baseball legends referenced throughout the text.  This review does little justice to what I took from this text and the quest to learn more... but its intended as a starting point for myself to dig further into the true story of baseball and Nelson's other projects including paintings that have been featured on Hip Hop projects.

A few more notes...the fold out pages of the October 11th, 1924 first Colored World Series... You all have to check this book out to see the paintings ESPECIALLY the fold out!.  Also the chapter titles as "innings" is brilliant.  AND, I really wish these oil paintings and names could find their way on sports trading cards.  Think back to when you were a kid and how exciting the hobby of card collecting was.  How much we learned constantly observing our favorite cards, the players names, bios, and the sheet and plastic/glass cases we'd protect and preserve our most valuable cards with.  I'm glad I caught the end of that experience when there would literally be a card shop on every side of town.  It's crazy how quickly times changed... in the case of card collecting, for the worst.

And one more note... there is a film referenced towards the end titled There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues by Ken Burns.

Here is where you'll find We are the Ship at EPPL: click here

Keywords + Tag = Hank Aaron | Buck O'Neil | Rube Foster | Satchel Paige | "Smokey" Joe Williams | Charlie Grant | Pete Hill | Sol White | Moses Fleetwood Walker | Frank Grant | Bud Fowler | Ben Taylor | Grant "Homerun" Johnson | Chicago American Giants | 1920 | Negro League Baseball | Negro League Baseball history | John Henry "Pop" Lloyd | October 11, 1924 | Colored World Series | Oscar Charleston | Hurley McNair | Bert Gholston | Wilber "Bullet" Rogan | Abe Manley | Effa Manley | Willie Foster | Andy Cooper | Detroit Stars | Gus Greenlee | The Pitsburgh Crawfords | The Homestead Grays | Josh Gibson | William Julius "Jody" Johnson | Raleigh "Biz" Mackey | Leroy "Satchel" Paige | Norman "Turkey" Stearnes | Willard Brown | Santruce, Puerto Rico | Martin Dibigo | Hilton Smith | Kansas City | Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean | Buck Leonard | Willie Wells | Rudy Fernandez | Sammy Hughes | George Scales | Mule Suttles | Pat Patterson | Bill Wright | Roy Partlow | Bill Byrd | Leon Day | Bill Holland | Cando Lopez | George Curry | Red Parnell | East Negro League all-stars | Comiskey Park | Jackie Robinson | James "Cool Papa" Bell | Branch Rickey | Ray "Squatty" Dandridge | Willie Mays | Kadir Nelson | We are the Ship | The Story of Negro League Baseball 

www.kadirnelson.com