Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters

After Black members of a 1922 championship high school team from Chicago’s South Side are barred from competing at the next level, they band together in this true story. In 1927, the team that will become the Harlem Globetrotters takes to the road in a Model T, picking up games with “anyone who would play,” despite being turned away from hotels and eateries. When locals resent the team beating home players, the Globetrotters develop their now-trademark tricks and footwork to win crowds over. Tate’s dynamic digital pictures capture the players’ perseverance as they prove instrumental in integrating pro basketball and score legions of fans, and a comprehensive timeline rounds out the book. Though the text at points glosses over racial discrimination (“hometown fans didn’t like out-of-town hotshots skunking their team”), this is an enthusiastic tribute to a groundbreaking team. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)