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A NATION'S HOPE: THE STORY OF BOXING LEGEND JOE LOUIS

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis
Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
De La Pena
Author's First Name: 
Matt
Illustrator's First Name: 
Kadir
Illustrator's Last Name: 
Nelson
Publisher: 
Dial
Publication Date: 
2011
2013 Nomination (not yet selected): 

Dramatic oil paintings, reminiscent of George Bellows, portray an overview of the life of Joe Louis,particularly his historic match with German heavyweight champion Max Schmeling. Nelson's application of chiaroscuro, shifting perspectives, and the symbolic use of color has never been better. A strong contender. Seven to Ten. Wendy Lukehart

Joe Louis, a quiet boy growing up in Jim Crow America,  becomes a national hero when he takes on Max Schmeling, the symbol of  Hitler’s master race, in a historic boxing match. Kadir Nelson’s artwork is as stunning and powerful as the story itself.

Comments

Meeting Notes May

by ladamson - 05/24/2011 - 12:26pm
Meeting Notes May 20
 
Positive Comments:
  • This book quietly and calmly presents a larger-than-life character standing up for what he believes within the context of his time.
  • The sophisticated illustrations are beautifully and dramatically rendered.
  • This well-written story, with its spare text, is not merely a sports moment; it has symbolic significance.
  • The darkness behind the boxing ring in the illustrations recreates the atmosphere of boxing matches and takes the eye straight to the most important actions in the story.
  • The radio scene accurately recreates the time.
Concerns:
  • The time line becomes confusing as to when Joe Louis first fought Schmeling.
  • The story seems one-sided since the reader knows neither how Schmeling felt about his role in the fight nor his feelings about the Nazis since he was not one.
  • Even in poetry, punctuation is appropriate.
  • The subtitle misleads because it says “The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis.” “A Story” would be more accurate.
  • In one of the illustrations, the text says Joe is on his back, but he is decidedly on his front.