ReviewBefore basketball star Michael Jordan’s name was uttered reverently in households all over the planet, young Michael was just a shrimpy kid attempting to play ball with the huge boys in the neighborhood. Tired of being teased by the greatest boy on the court, Michael is convinced the only solution is to grow taller. His mama smilingly proposes putting salt in his shoes and saying a prayer each night. His daddy tells young Michael that “Being taller may aid you play a little better, but not as much as practice, determination, and giving your best will. Those are the things that make you a real winner.” And so they are. At 6-foot-6, Michael may not have grown up to be the tallest player on the court, but he sure did turn out to be one of the best!
As his mother and his sister, Deloris Jordan and Rosalyn Jordan are in a pretty good position to tell us all with regards to what made Michael a star. They manufacture an effigy of a cozy, loving family life any child would be happy to come home to. Award-winning illustrator Kadir Nelson’s oil pictures of the gangly little Michael with hyperlong arms and oversized hands capture the preteen potential as well as his gawky grace. This warm, uplifting story will give hope or courage to young readers to chase their dreams with hard work and faith. (Ages 5 to 9) –Emilie Coulter
From Publishers WeeklyMichael Jordan’s mother and sister team up for an inspirational story with regards to this athlete’s earliest on-court efforts. Nelson (Big Jabe) is likewise a strong player here; he contributes animated art, rendered in a cartoon style that is informal yet polished. In the opening scenario, a bully intimidates young Jordan for the duration of a basketball game at a neighborhood park, causing him to flub a pass. Michael tells his older brothers, “I am actually sorry, guys. If I were taller that wouldn’t have happened.” When he asks his mother what will make him grow, she advises him to put salt in his shoes and say a prayer each night. Though he obligesDand proceeds to exercise shooting baskets at homeDhis attempts don’t without delay remunerate off. One day, his father convinces him that, rather than being tall, “practice, determination, and giving your best” are the keys to being “a real winner,” and Michael runs off to join his brothers in the park, where he makes the game’s winning shot. Though the book ends with a rather facile slam-dunk, the writers offer authorized clear or deep perception into this six-foot-six-inch-tall hoopster’s boyhood spunk as well as reassurance to young athletes raring for a growth spurt. Nelson handily balances in-your-face on-court action with more reflective portraits of the player’s inner growth. All ages. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-Deloris Jordan tells of an episode in her widely known and esteemed son’s childhood in which the future superstar yearned to be a better basketball player. Michael wished to be taller so that he could compete with the more spectacular kids, exceptionally one fellow member of an opposing team. His mother suggested that a combining of salt in his shoes, patience, and prayer would do the trick. Michael, seeing his mother’s success with plants, consorted to give it a try, but after assorted months, he was disappointed to see that he was still the same size. While his mother prayed, he practiced rather of playing but still he didn’t grow. When he told his father that he necessitated to be taller, his father explained that he was already a outstanding player because of his heart, and that “practice, determination, and giving your best” were the things that made someone a winner. Michael returned to playing basketball and made the winning basket for his brothers’ team. This readable and agreeably diverting story will delight the superstar’s fans. Nelson’s illustrations fetch the right blend of bright color, realism, and personality, giving youngsters a great deal of details to pore over among readings. It must read aloud well for younger children and their parents, and independent readers will take delight in it on their own.
Jeffrey A. French, Euclid Public Library, OH
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Salt in His Shoes