In this New York Times bestselling classic, Caldecott Medal-winning artist Kadir Nelson tells the incredible story of baseball's unsung heroes--with stunning, larger-than-life paintings and lively, accessible prose. Features nearly fifty iconic oil paintings, and a dramatic double-page fold out illustration! ★ Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award ★ Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Award ★ Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor We Are the Ship is a sumptuous, oversize volume for all ages that no baseball fan should be without. Using an inviting first-person voice, Kadir Nelson shares the engaging story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its evolution, until after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined team owners, of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship, of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of Black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball. Additional content at the end includes an author's note, index, and bibliography. Don't miss Kadir Nelson's next American Sports History book: Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game