Major Taylor

July 1, 2023
Renowned cyclist Marshall "Major" Taylor endured arduous conditions while competing in the Six-Day Race. Before Lebron James or Serena Williams, Taylor was one of the first Black Americans to win a championship in any sport and the first in cycling. Bouncy verse introduces readers to the young cyclist in Madison Square Garden in 1896. There, Taylor, a then-unknown 18-year-old, took part in a competition that involved six days of nearly continuous bike riding in front of thousands ("One hour of sleep / for every eight on the bike / kept you in the race, / but you fought to stay upright"). Taylor's talent, discipline, and mentorship from a former cyclist champion set the foundation for his career in cycling. The race was demanding, a "test of physical endurance...and mental strength," and for Taylor, as the only Black cyclist, dealing with racist attacks presented an additional layer of difficulty. As dramatic, almost cinematic scenes depict Taylor taking sharp corners, flashbacks chronicle previous races that led up to this one as well as the immense pressures he faced. Espinosa's bold illustrations pair well with the book's action-packed story and unfussy, lively text. Readers will be engaged and curious to learn more about a sports figure they've likely never heard of. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A charming, beautifully illustrated portrait of a world-class athlete who deserves to be even more widely known. (more information on Taylor, timeline, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2023
Grades 1-3 Writing in a rhythmic patter that sometimes sprints, sometimes properly evokes a sense of stubborn endurance in the face of utter exhaustion, Smith chronicles the course of an incredible six-day indoor race run by legendary cyclist Marshall "Major" Taylor in 1896: "The first Black face / in a pro bike race / GO, MAJOR, GO, / stay with the pace!" Grimly determined in Espinosa's clean-lined, dramatically angled scenes, 18-year-old Taylor brushes past crowds of hostile-looking white competitors, see a huge, hallucinatory bear on day four, and suffers a fall on day five--and on day six, he endures a collision and collapse just minutes from the race's end. That was still good enough for an eighth-place finish and, as the author goes on to detail in an afterword enhanced by a time line and source list, just an early highlight in a championship career followed by a fall into penniless obscurity. Earlier profiles of Taylor for young readers have helped make sure this pioneering athlete isn't forgotten; Smith's poetic one is a driving addition to the chorus.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2023
Smith introduces African American cycling legend Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor (1878-1932) to a new generation. Beginning with prose and then switching gears to (sometimes-clunky) verse, the story focalizes Taylor's remarkable performance in the grueling Six-Day Bicycle Race at Madison Square Garden when he was eighteen years old. Through chronological flashbacks, readers meet an even younger Taylor performing bicycle stunts in front the bike store where he worked and winning amateur races in jaw-dropping fashion. Smith does not soft-pedal the challenges Taylor faced while breaking the color barrier in sports. Espinosa's cinematic digital illustrations in a palette of largely neutral colors use dynamic visual perspectives to propel the story with drama and charged emotion. Back matter includes a timeline, bibliography, and supplementary profile of Taylor.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)