[Starred Review] ... [This book is a] graceful, lucid account of the pivotal events that began with Branch Rickey's decision to hire Jackie Robinson as the first Negro League star of a major league team. Golenbock is candid about... the ugly reception Robinson had from both the public and his new team, until--in the book's moving climax--Pee Wee Reese made a public move to stand by Robinson. Bacon's skillful, realistic illustrations, used in combination with occasional well-chosen photos, are as eloquent as the simple text.

Set in 1947, Teammates concerns a little-known episode about Brooklyn Dodgers' second baseman Jackie Robinson and the integration of baseball. When Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese, incensed by the abuse coming from a Cincinnati crowd, determined to "take a stand," he put an arm around his teammate's shoulder; this simple gesture symbolized the end of the "color line'' in major league baseball--and the beginning of a great friendship. ... Golenbock's bold and lucid style distills this difficult issue, and brings a dramatic tale vividly to life. Bacon's spare, nostalgic watercolors, in addition to providing fond glimpses of baseball lore, present a haunting portrait of one man's isolation. Historic photographs of the major characters add interest and a touch of stark reality to an unusual story, beautifully rendered.