Hoop Queens 2

January 1, 2024

Gr 4 Up-This follow-up to Hoop Queens again offers short poems paired with action photographs to pay tribute to 13 of the sport's best players. These range from veterans Sue Bird and "Scoring Machine" Diana Taurasi to younger stars Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart. Smith plays on the latter's name, using alliteration to craft a catchy refrain: "Breanna be ballin'." In "Smooth Like What," Smith sums up A'ja Wilson's masterful skills: "Dribble drive smooth like/ a fresh donut's glaze./ Making it look easy/ in so many ways." Crisp, staccato rhymes and double-page photographs conjure the sights and sounds of the fast-paced game. Brittney Griner's photo finds the 6'9" center jumping high, arms spread to block her opponent's shot, showcasing her intensity and dominance. The text for "S-S-S-Skylar" (Diggins-Smith) curves playfully across the page, as Smith enumerates her strengths: "sly/ skittery/ slithery/ snaking/ sneaking/ slippery/ sidewinding/ smoothly/ shifting." Though a few poems fall flat, overall this collection offers a winning mix of wordplay, alliteration, and rhythms. Fans will relish Smith's inventive tribute to a fresh group of stellar athletes. VERDICT Accessible and appealing short poetry and wordplay, paired with exciting photographs, will draw a wide audience. Librarians and language arts teachers will also appreciate the read-aloud qualities and potential to inspire creative writing units.-Marilyn Taniguchi

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2024
Grades 3-7 A companion of sorts to Smith's Hoop Queens (2003), this latest celebrates 12 additional WNBA stars in poetry, each poem being different in form and type but having in common the energy that language brings to the page. This is reinforced by the accompanying photographic portraits that capture each star in action. Appended are the author's notes on each poem. For the poem celebrating A'ja Wilson, Smith explains, he was struck by how smooth her moves are; accordingly, her poem is filled with similes for smooth, starting with "smooth like chinchilla fur." Brittney Griner gets a limerick because, Smith asserts, ""it packs a lot of information in a few simple lines."" Consider: "At six foot nine Brittney stands tall / on the court, making others look small. / With long arms she swats / away opponents' shots / or scores by dunking the ball." Smith's rhythmic enthusiasm is infectious, inviting moves on the reader's part. A choice pick for classroom users and independent readers alike.

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March 15, 2024
Thirteen WNBA stars of the present get fast-break tributes in this follow-up to 2003's Hoop Queens. Going for speed with short lines and staccato rhythms--"See / Courtney off the curl. / See / Courtney catch and shoot. / Must-see CV: / see / Courtney Vandersloot!"--Smith offers jargony takes on each player's distinctive feats or style of play paired with monochrome action shots that have been processed so that only the balls and each subject's uniform (and, when visible, shoes) are tinted. The cast runs to veterans, from Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi ("Power her up / start her up / DT3, Scoring Machine") to sisters Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike to A'ja Wilson: "Dribble drive smooth like / a fresh donut's glaze. / Making it look easy / in so many ways, / A'ja got smoooooth / game for days." The elder Ogwumike's ragged acrostic entry--"Nigeria / Stanford / mother is great / blockparty / and 1"--isn't the only example of the author growing a bit too fond of his literary conceits, but he does provide befuddled readers with explanatory notes at the end that shed light on everything from Brittney Griner's multifaceted abilities on the court to Australian player Liz Cambage, who has scored more points in a WNBA game than anyone else. A surefire fan pleaser. (Picture book/poetry. 7-9)

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