Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Fri Sep 16 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This graphic-novel adaptation of Alexander's 2015 Newbery Medal winner offers powerful visuals to an already-cherished narrative of teenage black boys navigating the game of life.The tale follows a year in the life of the Bell family, with Chuck "Da Man" Bell at the helm as he teaches his twin sons, Josh and Jordan, how to follow in his star-studded footsteps. Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell takes the lead in narration, providing readers with in-depth court play-by-play as he deals with the growing pains of adolescence, balancing brotherhood and his own becoming. Myriad poetic forms appear throughout. A portion embrace rhyme, with a hint of old-school flow recalling hip-hop's golden era. Veteran comics illustrator Anyabwile brings an expansive range of black-boy emotional expressiveness to the page, accompanied by a striking attention to detail and pop-cultural reference. Just check the fresh barber lines on display or the true-to-life illustrations of beloved athletes and musicians such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, and more. Eschewing the traditional paneled look of the graphic-novel form creates a dynamic flow between the scenes. These are sectioned out into basketball-appropriate quarters and dotted with Chuck's inspirational Basketball Rules, such as this excerpt of No. 3: "The sky is your limit, sons. Always shoot for the sun and you will SHINE." These messages grow ever more resonant as readers approach the climax of this heartwarming story.Flashy and engaging with emotional depth—a slam-dunk thrill. (Graphic fiction. 10-12)

ALA Booklist (Fri Sep 16 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This adaptation of Alexander's Newbery-winning novel in verse brings each character and event to life through Anyabwile's dynamic line work and portions of Alexander's beautiful poetry. The artwork, in a palette of black, white, gray, and orange, evokes the imagery of the basketball, ensuring that readers feel Josh Bell's experiences come to life. Josh and his brother, Jordan, sons of a basketball legend, rule the court, especially when they cooperate. But when the two find themselves growing further apart, as hormones increase and a girl enters the picture, life on and off the court falls into chaos. Although larger portions of the text in this adaptation exist in prose form, the poetry of the novel still exists at various stages to bring readers back to Alexander's original lively style. An energetic and lively re-envisioning, this transformation of the original text into a combination of visuals, poetry, and changing font styles will be sure to engage young readers who are both familiar and unfamiliar with Alexander's original work.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

This graphic-novel adaptation of Alexander's 2015 Newbery Medal winner offers powerful visuals to an already-cherished narrative of teenage black boys navigating the game of life.The tale follows a year in the life of the Bell family, with Chuck "Da Man" Bell at the helm as he teaches his twin sons, Josh and Jordan, how to follow in his star-studded footsteps. Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell takes the lead in narration, providing readers with in-depth court play-by-play as he deals with the growing pains of adolescence, balancing brotherhood and his own becoming. Myriad poetic forms appear throughout. A portion embrace rhyme, with a hint of old-school flow recalling hip-hop's golden era. Veteran comics illustrator Anyabwile brings an expansive range of black-boy emotional expressiveness to the page, accompanied by a striking attention to detail and pop-cultural reference. Just check the fresh barber lines on display or the true-to-life illustrations of beloved athletes and musicians such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, and more. Eschewing the traditional paneled look of the graphic-novel form creates a dynamic flow between the scenes. These are sectioned out into basketball-appropriate quarters and dotted with Chuck's inspirational Basketball Rules, such as this excerpt of No. 3: "The sky is your limit, sons. Always shoot for the sun and you will SHINE." These messages grow ever more resonant as readers approach the climax of this heartwarming story.Flashy and engaging with emotional depth—a slam-dunk thrill. (Graphic fiction. 10-12)