Followers of the WNBA aren’t the only ones who will appreciate this energetic and engaging book featuring Sheryl Swoopes, the two-time Olympic gold-medallist in basketball and star of the WNBA. Thanks to Susan Kuklin’s dramatic color photographs, Swoopes, dressed in eye-catching primary blue and red or yellow with black, is a bold, dynamic figure on every white page. Kuklin masterfully suspends time and movement on film. Her photographs of the body in motion are fascinating, especially for very young children. Slightly older children may enjoy mimicking Swoopes’s actions as captured in the photographs and described in a rhythmic, pace-changing text that offers many possibilities for imitation. “Dribbledribble. She plays from the tips of her fingers — to the tips of her toes. . . . Her game is passing — and catching — and driving down the court.” Swoopes shows the intensity and artistry of an athlete at the top of her form. (“Her game is believing in the team — and herself.”) Older readers, especially those with an interest in basketball, may find instruction and inspiration in Swoopes, who emphasizes in a note at the start of the text her belief in working on the fundamentals of the game and the importance of believing in yourself, whatever you choose to do. (Ages 4–10)

Photographer Kuklin teams up with Sheryl Swoopes in this celebration of basketball.