Basketball Dreams

by Chris Paul, Courtney Lovett (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Chris Paul's picture book debut shows what the power of love and encouragement can do to a child's dream. With the encouragement of his Papa Chilly, Paul became an inspiration to boys and girls of all ages on and off the court.

From NBA All-Star Chris Paul comes an inspirational and uplifting picture book about chasing your basketball dreams and the lessons he learned both on and off the court from his beloved grandfather Papa Chilly.

Growing up, young Chris Paul dreamed of playing professional basketball. But he knew it would take more than dedication and practice, so Chris looked to his grandfather Papa Chilly as a shining example of the values he could apply both in basketball and in life. Papa taught him about respect, faith, kindness, generosity, and the determination to succeed, just as Papa had succeeded as the first Black business owner of a service station in North Carolina. Serving as a beacon of inspiration for Chris, Papa Chilly and his lessons propelled Chris to become the star NBA player—and person—he is today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250810038
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	01/10/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	128,134
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Chris Paul is a twelve-time NBA All-Star, two-time Olympic Gold medalist, and the former president of the National Basketball Players Association. Off the court, he’s a father, husband, entrepreneur, activist, and philanthropist. He founded the CP3 Basketball Academy. The Chris Paul Family Foundation continues to provide resources that enrich underserved communities.

Courtney Lovett was born and raised in Maryland. Since she could pick up a pencil, not a day passed where Courtney did not draw, a sketchbook on her person wherever she went. She has since pursued an education in illustration and animation. Today, she still lives in her hometown, where she illustrates books and teaches at a local art studio.

Editorial Reviews

02/20/2023

NBA All-Star Paul gives his grandfather a starring role in this winning picture book celebration of family and basketball. First-person narration quickly establishes granddad, known as Papa Chilly, as a role model whose achievements offer inspiration: “Papa Chilly works hard,/ showing/ by/ doing,/ the first African American to own a/ service station around here.” Employing the refrain “I have basketball dreams,” the young speaker describes attending morning practices, overcoming obstacles, supporting teammates, and generally spreading kindness, linking each act to Papa Chilly’s example. Digital renderings by Lovett alternate between portraits of Papa Chilly working in coveralls and scenes of the athletic youth dribbling on the court and off. Concluding shots of game night offer a fittingly upbeat close: with “my family beside me, my basketball dreams,/ like Papa Chilly’s dreams,/ just/ might/ come true.” An author’s note concludes. Ages 3–6. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Lovett’s digital artwork is bold, energetic, and emotionally expressive. A combination of childhood memoir and tribute to a beloved relative, Paul’s simply expressed personal narrative comes across as a celebration without sentimentality. While young aspiring athletes will find inspiration and advice here, the simply expressed, fundamental values are applicable far beyond sports and can lead to success in any field." —Booklist

"NBA All-Star Paul gives his grandfather a starring role in this winning picture book celebration of family and basketball." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2022-09-28
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.

In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews