Ages 4-10. Many believe Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in American sports. But it was “Major” Marshall Taylor, a professional cyclist, who was the first black American to earn a world championship. His story starts in Indianapolis, spans Worcester, Massachussetts and France, and ends in Chicago. While Taylor achieved much fame and wealth in his career, he was forever plagued by racism and died poor and estranged from his wife and daughter.
Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome have created a vibrant picture book to introduce Taylor’s life and achievements to children. Cline-Ransome adroitly handles the text, using Taylor’s own autobiography and Andrew Ritchie’s biography, Major Taylor, to tell a succinct tale of Taylor’s life from his humble beginnings as a paper boy and stunt rider to world’s champion. Though Taylor’s life ended unhappily, Cline-Ransome ends the book in Taylor’s triumphant victory over his friend and rival Frenchman Edmond Jacquelin. The author’s language is simple and engaging with measured pacing and straightforward chronology. She also includes backmatter with additional information.
Ransome’s oil painting illustrations bring Taylor’s story to life, adeptly supporting Cline-Ransome’s text. Innovative use of layout, including three of four frames per page, perfectly renders the illustrations’ graceful detail and rich hues. Ransome’s dramatic use of light provides for informative settings and evocative facial expressions.
Cline-Ransome and Ransome have created an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand biography of a great but often overlooked American hero. While never talking down to their readers, the author and illustrator convey Major Taylor’s story with respect.
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