Tacko Fall: To New Heights

Basketball player Tacko Fall (b. 1995)—who, at 7’6”, “always wanted to be known for more than just my height”—recounts his path to the NBA in this picture book. With simple but detailed prose, Fall and Haynes describe an active childhood in Dakar, where Fall was first exposed to basketball on TV. When a coaching group spots him on a local court, he begins a training regimen that eventually leads to a move to the U.S. for high school and college. Throughout, the creators emphasize the value of practice, hard work, and persistence—themes summed up by Fall’s response to an offer to play for the Boston Celtics: “I promised that I would practice hard, that I’d have courage, that I wouldn’t let anything distract me.” Brown’s geometric digital visuals feature Fall achieving “new heights” and offer a big payoff as they picture the figure dunking during his first professional game—a winning conclusion to a notable life story that foregrounds dreaming big and having courage. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)