Basketball Town by Darnell Johnson, Scott Rothman
Published by Candlewick Press on 2023
ISBN: 9781536219777
Genres: Sports
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Vibrant digital illustrations bring this basketball-lover’s dream to life, along with a considerable amount of basketball jargon. Fortunately for the uninitiated, like myself, there is an explanation of terms at the end of the story.

Maxwell loves basketball and his dreams take him to Basketball Town where he discovers some valuable lessons. His own skills aren’t that great, but he can practice at Skillsville to improve. Then, when it’s time to compete, he learns the value of teamwork to help win the competition. When he wakes, Maxwell goes to practice with his own team and it is revealed that his father, their coach, looks a lot like the mayor of Basketball Town.

I appreciated that this book is very inclusive. The players, in both dreams and real life, include diverse genders and races. I did find it very odd that there were screaming and cheerleading giraffes in his dream, but no other animals. To be fair, there is a stuffed giraffe on Maxwell’s bed, but it’s still a little weird to see giraffes standing on their hind legs, waving pom-poms around.

Recommended for young basketball enthusiasts, especially if they need a little confidence boost or a nudge towards teamwork. (Ages 4-8)

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, Gorham Campus Library, University of Southern Maine