“The Crossover”

Twelve-year-old twin Josh Bell, son of the famous basketball player Chuck Bell, thinks of little more than playing basketball, whether it is practicing with his dad or playing with his twin brother Jordan on their school team. But when Jordan starts to discover life outside of basketball (including his interest in girls), Josh finds himself feeling left out and left behind.

Cover by Dawud Anyabwile

Written by Kwame Alexander
Illustrated, colored and lettered by Dawud Anyabwile

Alexander and Anyabwile think outside of the box as they share the story of fictional character Josh Bell and his basketball-loving family. Depicted without the typical constraints of graphic storytelling, this middle grade reimagining of Alexander’s verse novel of the same name celebrates black greatness and relationships in ways that are heartwarming, funny, relatable, and tragic in turn.

“The Crossover” is a long-form poem and as such, is told in narrative verse that is thematically split into 5 sections, each named for the quarters of a basketball game and overtime. Main character Josh serves as the narrator of the story, with his point of view front and center throughout, while most dialogue is presented without the usual visual indicators of speech. As readers make their way through the story, they will find speech bubbles are few and far in between. In their place, readers see stylistic variations on the text, included words or phrases that have been enlarged, bolded, or both. The font itself has the casual look and feel of handwriting but the smooth consistency of typeface.

Due to the amount of focus placed on the writing, the visual style of the words take on an importance not always seen in graphic novels. Just as is the case in the non-illustrated version this graphic novel is based on, the writing is central to the story and in this case, could easily stand on its own. The imagery, while stunning, is brought in largely in a supporting role and there is little vital interplay between the imagery and words. As found throughout the story, with page 60 serving as a prime example, the words can overtake the pages, with Anyabwile carving out small nooks within and around the large blocks of text and along the borders for smaller graphics. Despite this strong leaning toward text, the words do feel as though they are actively part of the art, and provide a cadence for readers in a similar fashion that panel layout would were panels more prominently used.

Similar to the limited use of speech bubbles, Anyabwile is also sparse in his use of panels; readers looking for a traditional paneled storytelling experience will not find that here. Instead, the story is told through a more open-ended visual layout that highlights the active and fluid movement of the sport. Had Anyabwile used panels, the story – both the poetry of it and the fluidity of game play found in the basketball scenes – would feel unnecessarily restricted and contained.

Anyabwile draws deeply on the basketball theme, moving beyond the fast paced back and forth of the sport and into the visual aesthetics of the equipment. He employs a set of three colors in his artwork: basketball orange, black, and white. The minimal color palette gives the story a clean, streamlined look that allows the story to remain focused on the words themselves.

The artwork, for all that it is unnecessary to the story’s understanding, still adds value. Anyabwile applies various treatments, saturations, and shapes to enhance the narration. A simple but effective example is found on page 9, in his use of the basketball orange color to depict flame and fire around Josh’s boastful declarations surrounding his skill. Anyabwile also plays with perspective, showing various characters or items from different angles. Numerous images are shown from below to give a sense of lightness or flying, particularly when players are moving toward the basketball hoop to dunk or alley-oop. At other times, full body images are shared, to give a sense of characters moving through the obstacles of other players.

But despite all the focus on the game, the heart of the story is really about relationships – familial and romantic – and the power of finding a sense of belonging. Basketball is how Josh expresses himself with others, and how he and his father communicated love to each other, devoting hours of their time to practicing together starting when Josh and Jordan were toddlers. After Chuck, Josh’s father, passes away from the same heart issues that killed Josh’s grandfather, practicing free throw is how Josh feels he is still connected to his father. When Jordan becomes interested in a girl at school, Josh expresses his anger during a basketball game, when he over-aggressively passes the ball to Jordan and injures him in the process. The anger built up because Jordan’s relationship meant less time for Josh, whether it was at lunch or walking to or from school.

Most importantly, the Bell parents provide Josh and Jordan – and this readers – with examples of strong role models. They are shown to be in a loving and respectful relationship, and demand the same respect from their children.

Though there is tragedy in the story, it is not what readers may expect to find due to the prolific stereotyping found in other stories featuring black characters. There are no gangs, no drugs, or other typical tragedy frameworks included in this story. Instead, readers are shown numerous examples of successful and talented black athletes and musicians, alongside the happy and successful Bell family themselves. They are all proud of their accomplishments and strengths without apologizing for or trying to deny their blackness.

Made for middle graders, this story can be enjoyed by teens and adults alike.