"Dion Graham's relaxed Southern voice is a perfect complement, enhanced with sound effects and music...the book's large size and Graham's narration combine to offer children a chance to pore over visual details.... Playing in the Negro Leagues was not always a bed of roses, but James Ransome's oil paintings highlight Paige's joi de vivre and joi de baseball."-School Library Journal

"...A ball made of a sock stuffed with rags. Bare feet. Does this sound like an auspicious beginning for "soccer's first star?" Ibsen Santos is an unobtrusive narrator who sets a leisurely pace and lets young listeners interact with both the text and the illustrations... Radio broadcasts of soccer games add ambiance to the production."-AudoFile