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About The Book

Michael Jordan’s mother and sister team up for this heartwarming and inspirational picture book about faith and hope and how any family working together can help a child make his or her dreams come true.

Michael Jordan.

The mere mention of the name conjures up visions of basketball played at its absolute best. But as a child, Michael almost gave up on his hoop dreams, all because he feared he’d never grow tall enough to play the game that would one day make him famous.

That’s when his mother and father stepped in and shared the invaluable lesson of what really goes into the making of a champion—patience, determination, and hard work.

About The Authors

Deloris Jordan is Michael Jordan’s mother and the coauthor of Salt in His Shoes and Michael’s Golden Rules, illustrated by Kadir Nelson; Did I Tell You I Love You Today?, illustrated by Shane W. Evans; and Dream Big, illustrated by Barry Root. She is also the author of Family First: Winning the Parenting Game, a book highlighting the seven principles of parenting. Through her work with the James R. Jordan Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, as well as the Jordan Institute for Families at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mrs. Jordan is widely regarded as an advocate for children and families. The mother of five children and the grandmother of eleven, Mrs. Jordan lives in Chicago.

Roslyn M. Jordan is Michael Jordan’s sister and the coauthor, with Deloris Jordan, of Salt in His Shoes and Did I Tell You I Love You Today?. She lives in Chicago.

About The Illustrator

KADIR NELSON is one of the most talented artists in the field of children's illustration. His work has appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and he worked on the visual development for DreamWorks SKG films Amistad and Spirit - Stallion of the Cimarron. His Thunder Rose, written by Jerdine Nolen, was a Coretta Scott King Honor Book for Illustration, his Ellington Was Not a Street written by Ntozake Shange, received the Coretta Scott King Medal for Illustration and his Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life, written by Jerdine Nolen, won the 2005 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. He is also the illustrator of Roslyn and Deloris Jordan's Salt in His Shoes (Fall 2000), Will Smith's Just the Two of Us (Summer 2001), and Spike and Tonya Lee's Please Baby Please (Fall 2002) and the follow up Please Puppy Please (Fall 2005) as well as Roslyn and Deloris Jordan's Michael's Golden Rules.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (December 5, 2024)
  • Length: 32 pages
  • ISBN13: 9780689834196
  • Ages: 4 - 8

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Raves and Reviews

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books A picture-book winner.

Boston Herald [A] slam-dunk effort.

Chicago magazine An inspiring piece of Jordaniana.

Kirkus Reviews Soul-satisfying.

Miami Herald The power of myth-in-the-making.

Awards and Honors

  • Crown Award (TX)

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Deloris Jordan

More books from this illustrator: Kadir Nelson