We Are the Ship

By Kadir Nelson,

Book cover of We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Book description

In this New York Times bestselling classic, Caldecott Medal-winning artist Kadir Nelson tells the incredible story of baseball's unsung heroes -- perfect for celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Negro Leagues! Winner of the 2009 Coretta Scott King Author Award * Winner of the 2009 Sibert Medal

Featuring nearly fifty…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

2 authors picked We Are the Ship as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I thought I should include at least one kids’ sports book since I have written 28 of them.  But honestly, We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson could be included in any list of great sports books.

Nelson is a talented artist who has illustrated dozens of children’s books and whose work has appeared in art galleries and on New Yorker magazine covers.

The art in We Are the Ship is wonderful but it is Nelson’s writing that is the surprise.  Adopting the voice of an aging baseball player who saw it all, Nelson tells the story of the Negro…

Open this oversized book to any page and you’ll be captivated by Kadir Nelson’s gorgeous paintings and the words of the players. This remarkable book gave me a sense of how these players, including Henry Aaron for a short stint in the Negro League, faced challenges with courage, strength, and even a sense of fun. This one really is mostly about baseball, but there was so much else going on during the time of Negro League Baseball and the author manages to help us understand the history as well.

Want books like We Are the Ship?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like We Are the Ship.

Browse books like We Are the Ship

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Negro league baseball, baseball, and Jackie Robinson?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Negro league baseball, baseball, and Jackie Robinson.

Negro League Baseball Explore 9 books about Negro league baseball
Baseball Explore 154 books about baseball
Jackie Robinson Explore 15 books about Jackie Robinson