TESTING THE ICE

In 1955 Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers beat out the Yankees and the Robinson family left New York City for a secluded home in Connecticut. Sharon Robinson’s remembrance of this time includes a concise description of how her father became the first African American to play in the major leagues, accompanied by sepia-toned illustrations. This recollection’s Connecticut scenes are painted in lush seasonal colors, as swimming and boating are favorite pastimes at their new home, although Jackie always sticks to the shore. The first winter in Connecticut offers a new entertainment: ice skating. Sharon, her siblings and their friends beg Jackie to take them on the ice. As the legendary ballplayer tentatively makes his way onto the frozen lake Sharon has a dramatic realization—her father can’t swim. Nelson uses varied perspectives to create tension and then resolution as Robinson signals the all-clear. This fond daughter’s reminiscence is a welcome addition to the life story of one of America’s best-known athletes and civil-rights advocates. (Picture book/memoir. 7-10)