Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters
by Suzanne Slade
illustrated by Don Tate
Informational Resources:
Author Information:
Suzanne Slade’s Website:
Talking to Suzanne Slade, author of ‘ Swish’ - a New Harlem Globetrotters book for kids (4:15):
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=1_dRbQUSIyA
Illustrator Information:
Don Tate’s Website:
Book Chat with the Illustrator, Featuring Don Tate (8:48):
https://vimeo.com/472283213?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=10614658
Activities & Resources:
Activities:
The Harlem Globetrotters
The Official Harlem Globetrotters Website
https://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/
Best of the Harlem Globetrotters, Guinness Book of World Records Day 2020 (3:58):
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=cDQLhK-flVE
Read about the history of the Harlem Globetrotters.
https://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/About
Watch this amazing One Take video of The Harlem Globetrotters (1:52):
Basketball
The Science Behind the Perfect Free Throw
https://smartereveryday.tumblr.com/image/80464058562
Learn How to Spin a Basketball on Your Finger (:39):
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=f-sq1CCbet4
Crafts
Make a basketball washer necklace:
https://mommywithnomoney.com/2017/04/02/basketball-washer-necklace-tutorial/amp/
Tissue Paper Basketball Craft:
https://www.freekidscrafts.com/tissue-paper-basketball/
Cooking
Make a basketball cake:
https://dukesandduchesses.com/basketball-cake-idea-reeses-pieces/
Make basketball cookie pops:
https://toughcookiemommy.com/2018/11/basketball-cookie-pops.html
MakerSpace Activities:
Conduct basketball experiments to demonstrate the laws of physics:
https://www.gettingsmart.com/2016/03/16/march-madness-teach-stem-sports/
Make an origami basketball game:
https://teachbesideme.com/origami-basketball-math-game/?jwsource=pin
Bouncing Basketballs: How Much Energy Does Dribbling Take?:
DIY Multiplayer Basketball Arcade Game from Cardboard (3:04):
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=EJRjOGRpoKo
The Magnus Effect and Basketball (3:00):
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=2OSrvzNW9FE
Discussion Questions:
Based on the title and cover of the book, what are some predictions you can make about the story?
What do you think of the book’s title? What other title might you choose?
Why did the players name the team The Harlem Globetrotters?
The home team did not like it when their team was being skunked by the Trotters. What strategy did the team come up with in order to fix this? Do you think this was a good strategy? Why or why not?
Why weren’t the players always welcomed into hotels or restaurants?
What did the players set out to prove? Were they successful? Why or why not?
Which player is your favorite? Why?
Describe some of the obstacles that the team had to overcome.
How did the Trotters’ game become known as “The Show”?
Describe how things changed for The Harlem Globetrotters after they beat The Lakers?
Eventually, The Harlem Globetrotters played to sold-out stadiums while NBA teams were barely able to sell enough tickets to pay the bills. What do you think caused this turn of events?
Why were The Harlem Globetrotters named “America’s Ambassadors of Goodwill”?
What was the most impressive thing about The Harlem Globetrotters? Why?
Describe your favorite part of the book. Why is it your favorite?
Why do you think The Harlem Globetrotters became so popular?
The Harlem Globetrotters played their first game in 1927 and are still popular today. Why do you think the team has stood the test of time?
Why didn’t Don Tate, the illustrator, not include numbers on the players’ jerseys? Explain why you agree or disagree with his decision.
There is a timeline included at the end of the book. Which event on the timeline do you think is the most impressive? Why?
Read the timeline at the end of the book. Point out some things that are in the timeline, but aren’t mentioned in the book.
Describe something you learned in this book that can help you in life.
Book Talk Teasers:
Read the Reader’s Theater for Swish!: The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters.
Watch the book trailer for Swish!: The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters embedded at the bottom of the page.
Read Alikes:
Basketball
Bryant, Jennifer. Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball. Hall-of-famer Elgin Baylor was one of basketball's all-time-greatest players--an innovative athlete, team player, and quiet force for change. One of the first professional African-American players, he inspired others on and off the court. But when traveling for away games, many hotels and restaurants turned Elgin away because he was black. One night, Elgin had enough and staged a one-man protest that captured the attention of the press, the public, and the NBA. (NoveList Plus)
Butler, Robbie. The Harlem Globetrotters: Clown Princes of Basketball. Relates the story of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, from their founding to the present, highlighting notable players as well as the humanitarian efforts of the Globetrotter organization. (NoveList Plus)
Colich, Abby. Maya Moore. Profiles the life and accomplishments of the basketball star, including information on her time at the University of Connecticut and with the Minnesota Lynx, and her role with the United States team at the Olympics. (NoveList Plus)
Coy, John. Game Changer: John McLendon and the Secret Game.
Relates the story of a basketball game in segregated 1944 North Carolina when a team from a white college played Coach John McLendon's North Carolina College of Negroes team. (NoveList Plus)
Littlejohn, James. B is for Baller: The Ultimate Basketball Alphabet. Featuring dozens of iconic NBA superstars like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, and Steph Curry, this is the ultimate alphabet book for young hoops fans—whether they're taking their first shot at the ABCs or already perfecting their threes! (NoveList Plus)
Reviews:
Slade, Suzanne. Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters. Little Brown & Company, 2020.
Booklist
Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters.
Suzanne Slade. Illustrated. by Don Tate.
Nov. 2020. 40p. Little, Brown, $17.99 (9780316481670). K-Grade 1. 796.323. REVIEW. First published September 1, 2020 (Booklist).
Nowadays, the Globetrotters are known more for trick moves and comical antics than competitive basketball, but it wasn’t always so. This picture-book biography focuses on the squad as a whole, beginning with their Chicago origins as the New York Harlem Globetrotters and touching generally on the the team’s inception, their barnstorming across the nation, and their road to becoming the most popular basketball team in the world. The story culminates with an extended section on their competitive showdown with the Minnesota Lakers, the all-white National Basketball League’s best team. Slade gently highlights how racism and segregation constrained the Globetrotters and how their success broke racial barriers, but the primary focus is on the delightful play of this ongoing line of talented athletes. Lively text mimics the energy of the game—though some language (“one handed dunk shots”) may feel awkward to today’s fans—and Tate’s artwork beautifully reflects the joy, talent, and athleticism through big smiles and elongated limbs. Basketball fans will enjoy this introduction to an iconic sports institution. —Ronny Khuri
Used with the permission of Booklist https://www.booklistonline.com/
School Library Journal (October 1, 2020)
PreS-Gr 4-With their "fancy footwork, fast passes, and one-handed dunk shots," the Harlem Globetrotters were known for putting on an entertaining show. Their history, however, shows how the Globetrotters played a significant role in the development of professional basketball. The original founders were a group of African American high school basketball players from the South Side of Chicago. The team played their first game in 1927. They traveled around the country playing against hometown or other touring teams, both Black and white. The Great Depression made it hard for the team to earn money until they added ball-handling tricks and theatrical moves to their game. They were accomplished players, but these special elements attracted paying customers. Although they presented a lighthearted presence on the court, the team encountered discrimination in many of the towns they visited and were barred from local hotels and restaurants designated "whites only." When new professional leagues began forming in the late 1940s, Black players initially were not recruited, even as the Globetrotters were a hit at Madison Square Garden. In 1950, Harlem Globetrotter Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton was one of the first African American men signed to the NBA. The Globetrotters began to live up to their name, playing exhibition games in many countries and across the United States. Digital illustrations and archival photographs capture the team's energy and sense of fun. The players' quick movements and the constant ball action are expertly represented by Tate's dynamic cartoon-style spreads. VERDICT This well-researched, accessible picture book makes this story bounce off the page.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's Sch., Richmond, VA © Copyright 2020. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.