Publisher's Weekly Review
Winter's (Fair Ball!: 14 Great Stars from Baseball's Negro Leagues) uneven narrative offers an overview of baseball great Clemente. The opening spreads introduce Roberto as a child in Puerto Rico, with "very little/ but a fever to play/ and win at baseball." He made a bat from a guava tree branch and fashioned a glove from a coffee-bean sack. The narrative quickly moves to Pittsburgh, where Clemente played for the Pirates, and his finesse on the field helped this last-place team go on to win the World Series his first season there (unfortunately, the text does not specify which year). Fueling the player's desire to excel at the game, Winter suggests, was the fact that although adored by his fans, Clemente did not receive respect or credit from American sportswriters (" `It's because I'm black, isn't it?"/ .../ It's because I am Puerto Rican,' " he asks the "sneering reporters"). The narrative highlights his "one-man show" during the 1971 World Series, in which the Pirates beat the favored Baltimore Orioles, and his 3,000th hit in 1972. Clemente's story ends tragically when his plane crashed as he headed to Central America to aid earthquake victims there. Rendered in watercolor, colored pencils and litho pencils, Colon's (A Band of Angels) art is inconsistent, juxtaposing evocative, richly textured and warmly hued paintings with less successful pen-and-inks. For baseball fans, this spotty biography leaves out many of the tantalizing details on the field, while newcomers may find Clemente's personality curiously distant and vague. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
This attractive picture book chronicles the life and career of Latino baseball star Roberto Clemente, from his childhood in Puerto Rico to his tragic death in a plane crash. The impressionistic account conveys both his professional struggles and successes and his personal attributes; appropriately, the illustrations include both emotion-laden watercolor portraits and black-and-white action shots. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Roberto Clemente played most of his major-league baseball career in the shadow of the slightly older Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Hank Aaron, emerging only in the early 1970s as the premier player in the game. Then tragedy struck. In 1972, Clemente's plane, carrying aid to earthquake victims in Central America, crashed off the shores of his native Puerto Rico. Winter tells the unabashedly inspirational story of how Clemente's passionate love of the game and unrivaled work ethic took him from poverty in Puerto Rico (his first baseball glove was made from a coffee-bean sack) to World Series triumph with the Pittsburgh Pirates and, later, after his death, to near-mythic status as a role model for young Latino ballplayers. Soaked in pastoral greens and browns, Colon's evocatively grainy, soft-focus illustrations, rendered with a mix of watercolors, colored pencils, and litho pencils, capture perfectly the worlds in which Clemente was most at home: the tropics and the baseball diamond. Baseball history brought vividly to life for a younger audience. --Bill Ott Copyright 2005 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-This sparkling picture-book biography is a worthy tribute to an individual whose greatness extended beyond the baseball field and whose stature continues to grow. The lively text highlights the achievements of his incredible career: his extraordinary fielding, his leadership in guiding the Pittsburgh Pirates to two World Series wins, and the accomplishment of recording 3000 hits. The author also imbues his subject with character: Clemente was notable for his generosity and as a trailblazer for Latino ballplayers. He struggled throughout his career with a condescending press, but after his performance in the 1971 World Series, no one could deny his greatness. The book ends with Clemente's tragic death in a plane crash as he was attempting to bring aid to victims of an earthquake in Central America. The illustrations, with their trademark swirls and detailed cross-hatchings, are perfectly suited to the text. Col-n alternates between full-color and black-and-white drawings: they add detail and drama, and the book's overall design is striking. Both author and illustrator are at the top of their game here. A delight for sports lovers as well as general readers.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente dreamed of playing baseball. Too poor for regulation equipment, he hit soup cans with a tree branch. In spite of his obvious talent, throughout his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, newspaper writers questioned his ability and used Latino stereotypes to denigrate him. The sheer brilliance of his play in 1971 and 1972 finally awakened the media to his greatness. Sadly, before he could bask in the adulation, he was killed in a plane crash while flying to aid victims of an earthquake. Winter employs straightforward, powerful language to capture the essence of the man. Each two lines of text are separated by a blank line, giving the appearance and cadence of poetry. Colón enhances the text with a variety of techniques, including mixing black and white and color pages and repeating images from different perspectives. A well-constructed introduction to a compassionate, dignified, multi-talented sports hero. (Picture book/biography. 6-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
