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Wednesday, March 30, 2022

The Legend of GRAVITY: A TALL Basketball Story, written and illustrated by Charly Palmer. Farrar Straus Giroux, Macmillan, Raincoast.2022. $25.99 ages 10 and up

 


"We had always been good, but we had never won a 
championship. We thought Gravity would be our 
missing link. Truth be told, he was often a one-man 
show. Gravity once jumped so high that we were able
to go out for ice cream before he came down.
"

Charly Palmer writes and illustrates his first picture book to celebrate the basketball wizards who play without NBA recognition. Can you even imagine how many there are? Focusing on one such player, the narrator introduces him:

"No, not gravity, the centripetal force
pulling us to the center of the earth.
I'm talking about GRAVITY: the greatest 
ballplayer to ever lace up a pair of 
sneakers."

What follows is an homage to those kids who show up to play on basketball courts everywhere. No one has seen them until they arriive one day and ask to play. The surprise always come when that new player can run circles around those already assembled. This guy doesn't yet have a playground name; the rest of the players want to change that. Everyone else on the court has one. 

"They call me Liquid 
because I'm so smooth.
"

A name is given: Gravity. He joins the Eagles. Others begin showing up to see him play, and to challenge the team. His accomplishments are the talk of the neighborhood. A summer of winning leads to the Best of the Best Milwaukee Basketball Tournament, and a strategy for winning - get the ball to Gravity and that should do it. The weekend goes well with the team making the finals against the East Side Flyers, formidable adversaries. The stands are filled with fans, the competition intense. Is the team depending too much on one player? 

Gravity shows what leadership is all about when he tells them:

"I can't win this game," Gravity said. 
"But WE can.
"

He then turns his attention to the narrator, an older Black girl, who has garnered little recognition on her team. Gravity knows every member of his team well. Butta proves herself worthy of his trust. They all play as a team of one. Twenty-five years after winning, the team still does what they do best - play ball! 

Energetic artwork brings basketball to life on the page. It shows all of the movement and drama of the game. An author's note reflects Mr. Palmer's admiration for the legends of streetball everywhere. I am a keen fan of the game, and especially love when all players are allowed to make a contribution to the success of their team. It doesn't always happen that way. Gravity shows readers just how important it really is. 

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