In his author-illustrator debut, Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe-and Africana Book Award-winning illustrator Charly Palmer spins a tall tale about a neighborhood basketball hero.
Charly Palmer is a graphic designer, illustrator, and the Africana Book Award-and Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award-winner for Mama Africa! As a child, he was fascinated by Ezra Jack Keats's illustrations for The Snowy Day, which inspired Charly's own use of color and geometric shapes. He studied art and design at the American Academy of Art and the School of the Art Institute, both in Chicago. charlypalmer.com
Texas Bluebonnet Award Winner
An Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids Title
A BookPage Best Book of the Year
2023 NYPL Vibrant Voices List "The Legend of Gravity is a riveting
rocket of a tale. Like a memorable championship game, it deserves
to be revisited over and over again by legions of devoted fans."
--BookPage, starred review "On-point gameplay descriptions bring
readers into the action as the awe-inspiring heroics of a
mythically great ball player take center court... Vivid colors and
heavy brushstrokes bring the city, its courts, and the characters
to life, with the fluid basketball movements and positioning of the
players being exceptionally well rendered." --The Horn Book,
starred review "This highly inspiring tale has a great deal of
heart and will appeal to readers who enjoy basketball and
characters who inspire. The art is expressive and sophisticated;
combined with the story, this makes for an outstanding addition to
the canon of tall tales." --School Library Journal "A delightful
and nicely anecdotal story about the importance of teamwork and the
unsung heroes among us." --Kirkus Reviews Palmer's visual
storytelling adds a breathless wonder that's much harder to deliver
than a concluding moral, as the solid weight of the thickly brushed
players goes effortlessly airborne, and the glowing ball seems
weightless as a paper lantern in Gravity's broad, dark hands.
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Through stylized,
painterly illustrations that highlight kinetic motion, Palmer shows
off pickup basketball athletes' legendary talents while underlining
the power of unity and teamwork." --Publishers Weekly
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