Rimshots

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The endlessly energetic design is the most valuable player in this passionate, idiosyncratic collection of basketball photos, anecdotes, poems and reflections. Lots of colored type and artfully deployed fonts rev up commonplace observations or recollections ("I remember when I was the shortest on the team"; "I remember seeing my parents in the stands, even though I just played the bench"); key words pop out in bright type to give the text the syncopated rhythm of courtside conversations. Curving lines of poems virtually roll across some spreads, enticing even verse-o-phobes to read closely. Smith ranges from the obvious (games he has played, action on the court) to the wry (a page titled "Excuses") to the idiosyncratic (writers whose books he read as he worked on this book) to the poignant (e.g., "Meek"). A professional photographer, Smith is at his best with his informal, sepia-toned photos of basketball action on street courts, which focus largely on players' feet and legs rather than faces--a sophisticated treatment that goes well with the hip-hop look of the text. This unconventional book might well sneak up on kids who don't think they like to read and score a slam-dunk. Ages 8-up. (Feb.)

VOYA

Using bright colors, multiple fonts, and clever design, Smith illustrates the fastpaced world of basketball and its meaning to him. The photos are mostly action shots of basketball players and relay the urgency felt in the voice of the writing. Some of the pieces are poetry, such as the notable "Excuses, Excuses" and "Fast Break," while some are prose, but all are as quickmoving as the fast pace of basketball, and demonstrate Smith's love of the game. Particularly attentiongrabbing is The Ritual, in which the free throw ritual of a player is explored. In Gimmetheball!, a player insists that a teammate pass him the ball because he knows that he can score. A player begs his coach to put him back in the game in Please Put Me In, Coach!! and promises to change his ways. Smith provides inspiration when he reminds the reader that, "Michael Jordan was once a little kid, with hopes and dreams just like you." The book comes together as a whole and reflects the energy, enthusiasm, and emotion of basketball. Sports enthusiasts of all ages will respond to this title. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 1999, Dutton, Ages 12 to 18, 32p, $15.99. Reviewer: Rosemary Moran

School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up--Through unusual fonts and splashes of color, the design of this book mirrors the exuberant nature of this American pastime. Like the game, the poems are quick, energetic, and highly rhythmic, and the prose pieces, personal and passionate. The author/photographer reveals his unabashed love of the game and insight into the personal dynamics of the sport in each double-page spread. The pieces are both varied and accessible. In the humorous narrative "No Sole," different voices lecture a player complaining about how much his new shoes hurt. Each narrator remembers how it was "when I was your age," from no high-tech shoes, to no new shoes, to no shoes at all. In `"Please Put Me In, Coach!!"' a boy's pleading voice promises "not to hog," and "I'll listen to you now" if only he can go back in the game. "School's in Session" and "The Sweetest Roll" are gracefully shaped poems that will inspire students to create their own selections. The concluding piece, "Everything I Need to Know in Life, I Learned from Basketball," will surely find its way onto locker-room and gymnasium walls. All of the superb dual-toned photographs depict young men. Once students and teachers become aware of this title, it will bounce right off the shelves.--Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI

Kirkus Reviews

Mixing poetry, memoir, short fiction, and photography, Smith pays a fast-break tribute to the pleasures and pains of b-ball, from being benched (" `Please Put Me In, Coach!!' "); to playing "Hot Like Fire," on the way to scoring 65 points; remembering "the time when my dad could no longer play one on one; or how a new kid, "Meek," proved himself on the court, once he was given a chance. Figures in the photos are blurred, clipped, or shot from behind, giving the illustrations an arty look, and the author is fond to excess of text in multiple colors and typefaces, but for range of experience and immediacy of feeling, this blows past Robert Burleigh's Hoops (1997). Smith closes with another tribute, to the African-American athletes, musicians, and artists who have meant the most to him. (Poetry. 8-11) .