Tacko Fall: To New Heights
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
The inspiring true story of basketball phenom Tacko Fall—and his journey from West Africa to the NBA—will inspire young people to dream and do. Tacko Fall was always tall, even as a child, but he wasn’t always a slam-dunk star. On his first official day of training as a boy in Senegal, running up and down the basketball court was exhausting. The first time he tried weight-lifting, he could barely lift the bar, even with no weights on it! The game had many rules that he didn’t understand, but Tacko set aside frustration and found the courage to keep working. The more he practiced, the more his skills grew, and the more reachable his goals became. Touching on immigration, determination, hard work, and the long road to success, this picture-book biography of one rising basketball star will delight his many fans and introduce him to new ones. Coauthored with his sports agent and paired with engaging illustrations, Tacko Fall’s relatable story will motivate readers to overcome obstacles and aim high—and higher still.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Basketball player Tacko Fall (b. 1995)—who, at 7'6", "always wanted to be known for more than just my height"—recounts his path to the NBA in this picture book. With simple but detailed prose, Fall and Haynes describe an active childhood in Dakar, where Fall was first exposed to basketball on TV. When a coaching group spots him on a local court, he begins a training regimen that eventually leads to a move to the U.S. for high school and college. Throughout, the creators emphasize the value of practice, hard work, and persistence—themes summed up by Fall's response to an offer to play for the Boston Celtics: "I promised that I would practice hard, that I'd have courage, that I wouldn't let anything distract me." Brown's geometric digital visuals feature Fall achieving "new heights" and offer a big payoff as they picture the figure dunking during his first professional game—a winning conclusion to a notable life story that foregrounds dreaming big and having courage. Ages 5–8.