Michael Jordan

Interesting introduction to the basketball legend that is Michael Jordan. A good book about working hard, practicing your craft, perseverance and working as a team to achieve your dreams and a great inspiration for little ones.

Another wonderful installment of the Little People Big Dreams Books. This is the inspiring story of Michael Jordan, his early life and basketball career. It's very approachable for little ones and has great advice for following dreams and passions.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

The best thing about the Little People Big Dreams series is it highlights extraordinary men and women who faced challenges, and through hard work, determination, and perseverance were able to achieve their goals.

Michael Jordan is perhaps the most popular basketball player in American history. He was a fantastic choice for the author to highlight in her series. I felt her decision to include Michael not making his first basketball team was important because it shows young readers the importance of not giving up.

Michael Jordan has accomplished so much in his career, that it would be impossible to include everything in a children's book. I was hoping to read about him starring in the movie Space Jam, which was a favorite of mine as a child.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The ‘My First Little People, Big Dreams’ series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are very short, but that’s because they’re books for children, so it’s totally understandable.
I think they are a very smart and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
This one is about Michael Jordan, considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He's such an inspirational figure and it's nice that young children are able to find out about his life and achievements.

I love most sports and for me Michael Jordan is a legend of basketball and worthy of his place in the Hall of Fame.

I love this series of books and so wanted to see how young Michael was viewed growing up and what pushed him on to be the best he could be in his sport and in life.

As usual the talented author has managed to find the crucial moments that propelled this young guy to the very top of his profession. Taking a simple colour palette the individual drawings enrich the carefully chosen words.

Also there is also a ‘grown up’ potted biography with real pictures to reinforce this is more than a story.

These books enthuse our children; show how with nurturing, support and encouragement we can inspire kids and humble beginnings does not exclude talent or success.

There is often a surprise for me within these stories. Michael’s parents here interest me, not just in their comforting words and mantra “Go out and earn it” but to learn that Michael’s father’s favourite sport was baseball.

Those of us entrusted to care for young lives need to see we are helping them fulfil their dreams and not our own ideas and values.

This book was all that you could wish for, perfect length for bedtime or to just have read aloud time. It explains Michael Jordan's story in a brief and succinct manner that allows children to get valuable lessons even in their young age, because it's never to early to learn values and how to persevere. Great illustrations, and again the story was perfect and covers Michael Jordan's life and the moments that really mark his story.

What a legend Michael Jordan is .This cute little book does justice to that inspiring icon .
Good ,colorful illustrations. A must have book like all the others

These books are always great! The illustrations are amazing, the story is short and to the point, giving just enough information for a young reader. There is always a short bio and timeline at the end for an adult. These books can be used in multiple ways in a classroom or at home! My one criticism is using the word “Little”, I know that might be “the point”, but it just rubs me the wrong way. I wish they’d replace it with the word young.

hMichael Jordan is the newest lead in this latest edition of the Little People, BIG DREAMS series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. This series is such a delight and the perfect way to educate not just kids but everyone about historic and cultural icons.

Michael Jordan is an American former professional basketball player and businessman. The book follows Jordan as he was raised in North Carolina to getting a gold medal at the Olympics and winning the championship three times in a row with the Bulls.

Lo Harris illustrates this installment and does a fantastic job. Harris' art style was so captivating and her art definitely further helped tell Jordan's story. I love collecting these books and am so thrilled to add this one to the rest of my collection.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A quick speed through the life of one of those GOAT characters, to use the modern lingo. Excessively cartoonish art portrays the story alongside simple layouts of one or two sentences per page, and it's all full of inspiration and optimism. I hardly have more to say – this is one of those reviewer-proof volumes, for any school library in possession of the other fifty titles in this series will buy this one, and likewise any educator in need of a book about the man will have no problems here.

Another wonderful book in this series! An inspirational brief biography about all-time great, Michael Jordan. I enjoyed learning about his persistence and impact on basketball. Perfect for children of all ages.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

It was great to see Michael's humble beginnings turn into a hugely successful career that he now uses to help others achieve their sporting dreams.

Children who pick up this book may already have heard the name Michael Jordan but, even if that is true, they will learn a lot about him in this new entry in a favorite series. They will discover that young Michael did not make a team (once) when he was young and that his mother encouraged him to work for and earn his place. (He did) They will find out that not only was he a spectacular player but that he also valued being a teammate. Kids will also witness his genuine grief at his father’s death and his successes off the court.

A terrific entry in a good series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
As usual, Sanchez Vegara pulls readers into the life of each Little Person, Big Dreams figure she writes about. In this book, readers see Michael Jordan first show determination and grit as a child and carry that through his basketball career and on into his business ventures after he retired from the NBA. The illustrations support the text and help readers visualize what Jordan was like at each stage of his life included in the narrative. A timeline is included at the end with further informative text.

We love these books in our house. They are a great way to introduce your little ones to important and/or famous people without being too big or in depth (I.e. anything scandalous)

I grew up watching Michael Jordan play so I was excited to share this one with my son. Lots of information and cute illustrations.

Love this series! Michael Jordan was THE household sports name when I was growing up. And even though I was never big into sports, I still grew up with the film Space Jam which I did like. It was fun reading more about his life. I enjoy the little people, big dreams books!

Thanks to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5★
“Hoping they would not just be fierce competitors but good teammates, his parents encouraged their kids to play all kinds of sports. And Michael learned that talent may win a game, but only teamwork can win a championship.”

My son and I, and now his boy, are huge Michael Jordan fans. As Aussies, we were proud to have Aussie Luc Longley playing with the Chicago Bulls, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Michael was the fourth of five children in his family, and his goal in life was to be the best, but at least beat his older brother Larry. Sadly, like many kids, he had the stuffing knocked out of him at school in North Carolina.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned:
“One day, Michael came home from school crying.
He hadn’t been selected for the basketball team because he was too short! His mother wiped his tears and told him what she used to say to all her kids: ‘Go out and earn it.’”

He took it to heart and practised all summer, made the team, and became the star! He could shoot, jump, steal, and defend. He won a college scholarship to the University of North Carolina.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned:
Michael, hanging high in the air, about to slam dunk, with his tongue sticking out, as it often did in games!

As a professional player, he led the Chicago Bulls to an NBA championship-winning streak of three in a row. The book doesn’t mention Three-peat, so I will. 😊 It was a big deal! He was the star, but it was the team that he inspired that did it.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned:
When his father died, it moved him to change course and set aside basketball.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned:
“He sought comfort playing baseball, his dad’s favorite sport.”

After a year of baseball, he returned to the Bulls and a fourth championship. Then they did a second Three-peat (also not mentioned as such). Six championships!

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned:
“One day, his coach Phil announced that it was his last season with the team. Michael and his teammates wanted to make sure it ended right! And after winning his sixth title, it was time for His Airness to hang up his sneakers, too.”

By the way, Nike made a bundle out of his line of basketball shoes, and they are now collectibles. I was surprised not to see the iconic Jumpman logo shown. Even kids today know what it is and who he is.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned:
Jumpman logo

In retirement, Michael Jordan is as busy as ever.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned:
Michael with kids and in his office. Note the picture on the wall of him receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

He is still an imposing presence when he appears, and his name ensures that people will follow a cause he supports. The short ‘real’ biography at the end, with four photographs, fills in some of the gaps for older readers who are sharing the book with children. These books can inspire kids to dream big!

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned:
Michael Jordan has become “an inspiration for others to choose their dream… and make it happen!”

I do have a complaint. I would have liked a lighter touch with the illustrations. Lo Harris is obviously talented and has an individual style (you can easily find her website). My objection is that the only recognisable person to me is coach Phil Jackson, and that’s probably because of the glasses and moustache. Michael and the other players look chunky and heavy instead of athletic, and in Michael’s case, graceful.

When I saw the picture on the wall behind Michael’s desk, I was wondering what George W. Bush was doing, putting a medal on him! Barack Obama is another very distinctive man, easy to identify from a silhouette. For example:
My Goodreads review includes side-by-side silhouettes from the back of Obama and MJ.

Still, it’s a story worth telling, and I’m delighted to see MJ, His Airness, flying high in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the copy for review.

The first thing I absolutely loved about this books is how vibrant and fun the illustrations are, every page is packed with images adding to the story line and illustrating the life of Michael Jordan in a way that children can clearly see and understand.

This book has a wonderful focus on team work and how Michael achieved what he has as part of a team, a great lesson for children and adults alike and could be a brilliant case study for team building in or out of the classroom.

I do find the little people dream big books a great classroom resource, they always have fabulous representation and underpinning core values that make excellent discussion. This book also highlights the grief and loss experienced by Michael and does not shy away from the fact that he was extremely sad and how this effected his life.

Another excellent edition from a fantastic series!

Another wonderful book by this author. I loved how well the book explained Michael Jordan’s life. I will be adding this to my classroom library.

The artwork in this book is one of my favorites of the Little People Big Dreams series! It's bright, colorful, cute without being cutesy. I love that it tells the story accurately yet simply. This is a must-buy for anyone who loves basketball or picture book biographies!

Follow Michael Jordan through some of his life challenges and learn some important lessons along the way about overcoming obstacles, character, and being a good team player. Illustrations will bring this story to life for young children during read along. The biography ideas are summarized for quick perusal at the end of the book on the last two pages for those who want a quick look-over before purchasing. Tips for further reading also included at the end. A great little book on a larger than life sports legend.

This book is perfection! I love how much useful information was in the book, and how much you can learn both as a child and as an adult. The illustrations also aid in visual interest of the book. Once again, I loved a Little People Big Dreams book!

I loved this style of artwork. Michael Jordan was a hero of my generation growing up and seeing his likeness designed in a cute, minimalist art technique creates a story that is easy for a child to follow and interesting enough for parents to be engaged in. I loved how this followed Michael's journey to the NBA and highlighted his values.

Michael Jordan is a great addition to the ‘little people, big dreams’ series. It is a great way to introduce him to a younger generation.

In this Little People, BIG DREAMS book, readers will discover the life of Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In this child friendly biography we meet Michael as a child. He wanted to be the best at everything he tried. He and his brothers were all very active in sports, but Michael wanted to play basketball. When he did not make his school basketball team, he worked hard to improve his skills, and growing helped as well. From there he went on to play college ball, play in the NBA and win 6 titles with the Chicago Bulls and play for the US in the Olympics. His message: to work hard to make your dreams come true. I also liked that he stressed teamwork to win a championship. One thing this book mentioned was his reason for taking a season off from basketball and trying to play professional baseball, the death of his father. I did not know that. The illustrations were well done. I like the various styles used in this series and feel that Lo Harris' images added to this book. Another great addition to this series.

Do you know that Michael Jordan was not selected for the basketball team? Sure shocked me. And so many facts I read about him in this book.

One of those series you would love to have for your kids or nephew or niece, or even your grandchildren.

Another excellent addition to the Little People Big Dreams books series for the young and not so young (very ESL friendly). This time the reader is reminded that influencers in sports were children once, too, and that just because one is *short* as a child does not mean the same once finished growing. The illustrations that are mostly simple and forthright.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Thank you Netgallet for the ARC copy.

My son loved the book. The illustrations were nice and he learned to love Michael Jordan. We even watched "Space Jam" right after.

I love these Little People, Big Dreams children books about celebrities. It is such a great way for young children to learn about people who overcame big and realistic obstacles to achieve their dreams. This Michael Jordan edition is great. He is such a inspiration of being told no or being criticized and still going for what he dreamed about. The obstacles in his life are the type of obstacles that kids these days really face and yet he continued and began THE Michael Jordan. I love how these books highlight the good and the bad, the happy and the sad of a life in such a quick way in young reader's language.

Very inspiring biography of the sport legend, basketball player Michael Jordan! In incredible way we learn about the beginning of the sport career, the path of success because of many hours of trening and the strength of the team.