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Summary
Summary
Bestselling author Jonah Winter and award-winning illustrator James E. Ransome knock it out of the park with this tribute to one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived, Joe DiMaggio.
In the golden age of baseball, sports announcers ruled the radio, winning and losing was front-page news, and just about every young boy wanted to grow up to wear Yankee pinstripes, including Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr., a first generation Italian from San Francisco.
"Baseball is not a job," said young Joe's dad, but through hard work and dedication, Joe grew up to make headlines as a top centerfielder and ace hitter--Joltin' Joe, the Yankee Clipper. And when the paychecks started rolling in and the newspaper reporters wouldn't stop calling, you can bet Pop was mighty proud!
During the Depression and WWII the country needed something to cheer for, and Joe was the star player who outshone the rest, even marrying movie star Marilyn Monroe--all by keeping his mouth shut and his eye on the ball.
Author Notes
Children's author and illustrator Jonah Winter was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1962. He has created many popular books, including works about baseball and biographies of famous individuals including Frida Kahlo, Roberto Clemente, and Barack Obama.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
"Baseball, believe it or not, was once the biggest sport in America.... And it wasn't just the biggest sport-it was the biggest thing." That's some terrific context and tone setting for Winter's readers, many of whom may view baseball as quaint at best. Winter (You Never Heard of Willie Mays?!) writes with a casual elegance that beautifully captures the spirit of an athlete whose signatures were grace and reticence ("And the way he said nothing... only made him more noticeable"). Ransome's (Knock Knock) watercolors of DiMaggio's early years with his immigrant Italian family in San Francisco look a bit like a Little Rascals short film. But as Joe rises to the pantheon of American cultural heroes (yes, there's a nod to his marriage to Marilyn Monroe), Ransome nails the Yankee Clipper's majestic nose and magnetic, toothy grin, and the images grow in expressiveness and imaginative power. Evoke whatever baseball idioms you want-grand slam, home run-this book is it, enabling readers to understand both what made DiMaggio a one-of-a-kind talent and the special hold he had on the public imagination. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Joltin' Joe" made headlines wherever he played, especially during his amazing fifty-six-game hitting streak. With a near tall-tale tone, Winter paints baseball as the bright spot in the Depression and DiMaggio as one of the biggest stars of the day. Ransome's warm watercolors capture the emotions of DiMaggio but also life's small moments. An author's note fills in blanks. Bib. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
This biography's cover a head shot of DiMaggio looking aspirational isn't much of a draw since most youngsters probably haven't heard of him. Even the book's opening sentence cuts to the quick: Baseball, believe it or not, was once the biggest sport in America. But Winter goes on to make a strong case for why readers should be impressed. The book begins with a young DiMaggio selling newspapers featuring headlines about the Yankees and Babe Ruth. He is the child of a San Francisco fisherman who expected his sons to follow in his footsteps, but Joe has other ideas. Talent with the bat gets him to the Yankees by 19 (with a $25,000 salary), and it's up and away from there. This focuses on the highlights of DiMaggio's career and life (his marriage to Marilyn Monroe gets a two-page spread). Prejudice against Italians is mentioned in both the text and author's note, but it's not fully explored. Ransome's oversize watercolors have an in-your-face style that adds to the action and excitement, of which there is plenty. A solid hello to Joe.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2014 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-In this superb tribute, Winter limns DiMaggio's life, career, and legend in a lively conversational style. In the 1920s, "baseball was all people talked about for seven months out of the year," and young DiMaggio grew up playing and dreaming of baseball, but his fisherman father expected his son to follow in his footsteps. Faced with his father's disapproval, quiet DiMaggio let his actions do the talking: "Joe, he kept his mouth shut and kept on swinging that bat." He was only 19 when his talents won him a place on the Yankees' starting lineup, stepping into the shoes of retiring Babe Ruth. DiMaggio seamlessly moved on to his own glorious career, highlighted by his unparalleled 56-game hitting streak. Ransome's vibrant watercolors complement Winter's compelling storytelling. Underscoring DiMaggio's quiet persona, Ransome sets the shy ballplayer apart amid his talkative family and boisterous teammates. His images reveal DiMaggio's prowess and strength as he waits at home plate, bat gripped in his hands, in his famous wide-legged batting stance. An exciting series of illustrations details the tense duel between DiMaggio and tough knuckleball pitcher Dutch Leonard, who nearly ended DiMaggio's streak. Fans and newcomers alike will relish this delightful tribute to the ballplayer whose life seemed to embody the American dream. For perspective on DiMaggio's career, see Phil Bildner's The Unforgettable Season: Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and the Record-Setting Summer of 1941 (Putnam, 2011) and Rob Skead's Something to Prove: The Great Satchel Paige vs. the Rookie Joe DiMaggio (Carolrhoda, 2013). Meanwhile, Winter and Ransome's well-crafted book is an out-of-the-park triumph.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The great Joe DiMaggio still holds fascination for modern fans. Baseball in the first half of the 20th century was indeed the national pastime. Whether it was the major league teams, players and game, the minor leagues with their future stars, or the local sandlot team, baseball was king. Winter taps into this fervor for this brief but thorough biography. From the beginning, Joe was determined not to become a fisherman like his father. Baseball would be his way out. Winter covers all the highlights of DiMaggio's remarkable career, including his amazing, still unbroken hitting streaks, contextualizing it against the Depression and the coming war. He describes Joe's quiet, almost taciturn demeanor and how it did nothing to impede his stature as a national hero. The narrative notes how DiMaggio's every deed was covered in depth in newspapers and on radio, how he earned his nicknames, "Joltin' Joe" and "the Yankee Clipper," and how he even became the subject of a hit song. Even DiMaggio's later marriage to Marilyn Monroe is remarked on for its joining of two of the most famous icons in America. Ransome's detailed watercolors beautifully convey DiMaggio's persona and his baseball prowess with just the right combination of accuracy and nostalgia. Hero worship abounds, but even within this context, the book scores a home run. (author's note, stats, sources) (Picture book/biography. 6-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
