As a young boy, future Canadian Football League quarterback Chuck Ealey perfected his throw by aiming stones at the trains that passed through his segregated Ohio neighbourhood. It was the 1950s and Chuck was African-American and poor. He was also determined. Written by Ealey’s daughter, Jael Ealey Richardson, The Stone Thrower tells the remarkable story of Ealey’s rise to become one of the most talented quarterbacks in Canadian football history. It is an inspirational true-life tale that will resonate with dreamers big and small.

This is Richardson’s debut picture book, but not her first book. Her 2012 memoir, The Stone Thrower: A Daughter’s Lessons, a Father’s Life, was more than just a reflection on a father-daughter relationship – it was also an examination of race relations and self-identity. With the picture-book adaptation, Richardson finds success once more with her father’s story, and is to be commended for crafting a well-paced narrative suitable for a younger audience learning about the man and the challenges he faced – and overcame – for the first time.

The book’s success is also thanks in no small part to the illustrations accompanying Richardson’s powerful text. Artist Matt James – winner of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award for his work on Laurel Croza’s I Know Here, another moving tale based on real events – has a talent for producing images capable of conveying a multitude of emotions and sentiments. This approach works well for such a deeply personal, inspiring story, and contributes to the book’s lasting impression.