Am happy to announce that I have sold my fourth nonfiction picture book to Karen Boss at Charlesbridge. Can't say anymore, except it comes out Summer 2019.
The blog for Barry Wittenstein, children's book author
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Book Review
In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play for a major league baseball team. But Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers didn’t mean the sport was instantly desegregated. Twelve years passed before the final holdout, the Boston Red Sox, hired Elijah “Pumpsie” Green, its first black player.
In Waiting for Pumpsie, Barry Wittenstein and illustrator London Ladd explore one fictional African-American family’s emotions as they await the day a black player will join their beloved Sox. Through the eyes of Bernard, a baseball-obsessed boy, readers experience the conflicting emotions many Red Sox fans felt: “We always want the Sox to win. But Mama says we gotta root for all the colored players, no matter what team they’re on.” Bernard’s voice feels real and timeless, while Ladd’s illustrations bring late 1950s Boston to life.
Waiting for Pumpsie is an introduction to Pumpsie Green and an important chapter in sports history. It is also a very human look at a family’s complex relationship with the sport they love.
-Dorothy A. Dahm, posted 3/3/17
Book Review
I love books that give young readers a slice of history encapsulated in an engaging story. One of the best things about this book is Bernard’s voice. Although he’s a fictional character, he feels real. He sounds believable. His enthusiasm for baseball in general and the Red Sox in particular comes through clearly, along with his acute awareness that his team is the only holdout in the major leagues – the only team that has yet to play an African-American. When at last Pumpsie Green gets his chance, helping the Red Sox to a win, Bernard and his family are there to witness the historic moment.
I think my favorite line in the book is: “The Sox win. After the game, I stop walking for a minute and turn around. I look at Fenway and the crowd and tell my eyes to take a picture.” Isn’t that just wonderful? Haven’t we all had moments like that when we try to commit every single detail to memory so we’ll never forget?
A wonderful choice for baseball fans, young historians, or anyone who likes a good story!
Posted 3/3/17
Thursday, March 2, 2017
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