| Henry
Aaron's
Dream Reviews |
| "This picture book pays homage to
Aaron's strength of character and determination to play major league
baseball.... Well-written text and brilliantly composed art highlight
the poignancy and triumph in Aaron's story. This rousing tribute should
resonate with a wide audience." *School Library Journal (starred review) |
| "A multi-layered treat. On one
level it is an account of one of the most amazing hitters to ever play
baseball, but it is also a valiant story of hope, resilience,
perseverance, and love. The author paints a rich history lesson cloaked
in sports." *Library Media Connection (starred review) |
| "The author illustrates his
powerful words with extraordinary, heroic images: Muscular watercolor,
ink and pencil pictures put readers right in the scene, often looking
up at Aaron. Very fine." - Kirkus Reviews |
| "Tavares' color illustrations are
as clear, exciting and moving as his prose." -San Francisco Chronicle |
| "Not only is this a great baseball
story with stunning illustrations (the Caldecott committee better sit
up and take notice), but the story is rich with accurate history and a
tender message to follow your heart and dreams. Each painted page tells
a story all on its own. The author's note, stats page, and bibliography
make this a winner." -Susan Capaldi, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, MI |
| "Many young readers do have some
sense that major league baseball once had a color barrier and Jackie
Robinson is the name they associate with breaking it. That image of a
"barrier" broken, however, often gives them a sense that everything
changed in 1947. It didn't, and Tavares' look at Henry Aaron's career
carefully makes that point.... One of the strongest images is of Aaron
and the two other black players on the Jacksonville Class A team the
year they finished first in their league. The white folks are partying
in the restaurant; Aaron and the others are eating in the kitchen,
surrounded by proudly beaming black kitchen staff. Memorable images of
a memorable man." -The Baltimore Sun |
| "Tavares' vibrant artwork brings
viewers into dingy dugouts, on cramped busses, and into the dust of the
diamond as Aaron works his way into history.... The home run record may
have been stolen, but books like this ensure that Aaron's legacy
remains intact." -Booklist |
| "We know Hank Aaron as
a home-run king, as a leader, as
the best baseball player Milwaukee ever saw - both as a Brave and as a
Brewer. But sometimes we forget that, once upon a time, he was a kid
with a dream. Matt Tavares didn't. His new children's book, Henry
Aaron's Dream, tells the story of a young boy in Mobile, Ala., growing
up in a world of segregation and exclusion, whose dreams of playing
big-league basball seem dim until Jackie Robinson breaks the color
barrier in 1947. But that doesn't mean the rest of the trip is easy.
Tavares' soft, warm illustrations carture the heart and silent
determination of Aaron's story, in a way that's accessible to readers
of all ages." -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
| "A compelling biography of Aaron's
early years... a nicely done homage to an all-time great." -Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |
| "The book is as much about Henry
Aaron's dream as it is about baseball in America in the 1940s and '50s,
with "whites only" baseball diamonds and separate sections at games for
"colored". This book is about how Aaron remained focused on the ball--
and his dream." -The Washington Post |
| "Tavares tells his story in a
straightforward fashion that places young Aaron's dreams in the
historical context of a racist society heading for change in the sports
field, thanks to the bravery of one Jackie Robinson. Tavares's
illustrations - in watercolor, ink and pencil - capture the warmth and
support of the black community, and the determination of figures like
Robinson and Aaron to transcend racial stereotypes. The result is a
picture book not only suited to history classes, but an inspiration to
children of all backgrounds to do the best they can and to follow their
dreams." -Montreal Gazette |
| "Tavares' Zachary's Ball is a
children's classic. Now Henry Aaron's Dream is a masterpiece of a
children's book." -Peter Gammons, Hall of Fame baseball writer, NESN and MLB Network |
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