cover image Game, Set, Match, Champion Arthur Ashe

Game, Set, Match, Champion Arthur Ashe

Crystal Hubbard, illus. by Kevin Belford, Lee & Low, $19.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-60060-366-2

The trials and achievements of tennis star Arthur Ashe, from his youth in the segregated South to his work fighting apartheid and successes on the court, are illuminated in this crisply written story about facing challenges and following dreams. With the support of his father and his coaches, Ashe became the first African-American winner of Wimbledon and the top-ranked tennis player in the world. Layered with spatters and strong lines, debut illustrator Belford's heavily worked paintings suggest the cloudiness of memory (sometimes a little too cloudily), but the matches themselves, glowing with the green of the courts, practically vibrate with energy. Ages 7–11. (Sept.)