Bettina and the Ball

In her autobiographical picture book, acclaimed educator and former college basketball player Bettina Love reflects on how she first fell in love with basketball at her father’s knee—honoring the beauty and brilliance of childhood joy.

From one of the most important voices on the lives of Black children today comes a story that champions girls who love sports and touts the importance of perseverance and following your dreams, regardless of what others say you can or can’t do. “Practice and patience, Love,” Bettina’s dad tells her when her love affair with basketball begins. And she takes his advice to heart, from the ba-dum ba-dum of her dribbling to the beautiful swish when the ball finds the net. From the time Bettina wakes until the time she sleeps, she and the ball spend all day together, dancing to the beat of her heart. And when a bigger kid chases her off the court because she’s a girl, it takes only her dad’s reminder that nobody can tell her what or whom to love, and she feels her heartbeat again, stronger than ever. Paired with Frank Morrison’s energetic illustrations, Bettina Love’s picture-book debut makes clear that when you love something fearlessly, not only can it be contagious—it can be everything.