A review by antlersantlers
Testing the Ice: A True Story about Jackie Robinson: A True Story about Jackie Robinson by Sharon Robinson

4.0

Really lovely intermediate-level book written by Sharon Robinson about her father Jackie. The strength of this book is that it's a pretty small story. It touches on her father's entrance into major league baseball, but mostly it's just about him being her dad. When she was little I think she knew that he was important, but mostly he was just her dad. The story takes place primarily around 1955 when the family relocated to an idyllic house in Connecticut. Her dad loves the woods, but always stays out of the water no matter how much they beg. When the lake freezes, they need him to go out and test the ice (anyone who has been around a frozen lake will know how much weird, scary noise it makes!). Ms. Robinson explores the different types of bravery her dad showed her. I like books like this that show a smaller side of a famous person. Often groundbreaking figures get turned into mythic figures, but human stories like this show the individual and intersectional nature of a person's character.

I think this is a lovely book for individual reading, but I also think a teacher could use it as a longer read-aloud for a class. I hate to say that this would be perfect for African American History Month, because it would basically be a good read during any winter month. That said, I am definitely going to put it on display during February so I can hopefully get some more eyes on it.

And of course Kadir Nelson's illustrations throughout are stunning. No surprise given that he is the most talented illustrator on earth!