The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby

By Crystal Hubbard, Robert McGuire
Paperback: $11.95

The story of Jimmy Winkfield, one of horse racing’s all-time great jockeys and the last African American to win the Kentucky Derby, in 1902.

Description

Born into an African American sharecropping family in 1880s Kentucky, Jimmy Winkfield grew up loving horses. The large, powerful animals inspired little Jimmy to think big. Looking beyond his family’s farm, he longed for a life riding on action-packed racetracks around the world.

Like his hero, the great Isaac Murphy, Jimmy “Wink” Winkfield would stop at nothing to make it as a jockey. Though his path to success was wrought with obstacles both on the track and off, Wink faced each challenge with passion and a steadfast spirit. Along the way he carved out a lasting legacy as one of history’s finest horsemen and the last African American ever to win the Kentucky Derby.

The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby brings to life a vivacious hero from a little-known chapter of American sports history. Readers are transported trackside to witness the heart-pounding story of a vibrant young man chasing down his dream.

About the Creators

Crystal Hubbard

Crystal Hubbard is a full-time writer and former sports journalist. Her Lee & Low titles The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby, Catching the Moon: The Story of A Young Girl's Baseball Dreams, and Game, Set, Match: Champion Arthur Ashe have been recognized with several honors, including being named to Bank Street College's Best Children's Books of the Year and the ALA's Amelia Bloomer Project. Hubbard lives in Missouri with her family. You can find her on Twitter at @XstalBooks.

Robert McGuire

Robert McGuire is a full-time illustrator with a degree in fine arts whose work reflects a love of diverse cultures. He and his wife live in Japan. For more information, visit robertmcguire.com.

Awards

  • Celebrate with Books

    Cleveland Public Library

Reviews

  • "This is both a personal story of determination and dedication and a brief look at the history of horse racing and the social injustice that led to Wink being the last African-American jockey to win the Derby. Vibrant oil paintings bring readers right into the action and capture the special relationship between Wink and the horses he rode and raised. This well-written and interesting biography will be a welcome addition to most collections."

    - School Library Journal
  • "Hubbard's text is richly informative and filled with exciting sensory details. . . The stirring scenes of horses streaking down the track, hooves pounding through clouds of dust, will easily capture children's attention. The background history of discrimination and African Americans in horse-racing history, spelled out in the foreword and expanded on throughout the text, adds even more heft and curricular ties to Wink's personal story, which is helpfully summarized in an afterward. A solid introduction to a fascinating subject."

    - Booklist
  • "[T]his overview of Winkfield's life as a jockey stands as both a celebration of racing and a snapshot of one determined man."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "The thrilling text and dramatic oil paintings make it exceedingly difficult to put this book down before reaching the very last page. Carefully intertwined in the tales of Wink's triumphs and defeats are important lessons about discrimination and job opportunities that had a profound impact on his career progression. The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby makes a valuable contribution to children's literature by bringing to life the story of an African American hero whose rightful place in sports history has only recently gained recognition and appreciation."

    - Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children
  • "This book, with its informative introduction, is a teaching tool for children 8–10 that can be used to discuss an overlooked part of American history."

    - Foreword Reviews

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781600608919
  • Publication Date Jun 30, 2005
  • Trim Size 8.25 × 10.25 × 1 in
  • Weight 0.4375 lbs
  • Page Count 40
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781584302742
  • Publication Date Jun 30, 2005
  • Trim Size N/A
  • Weight 0.4375 lbs
  • Page Count 40
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Sports & Recreation
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / Animals / Horses
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / Social Topics / Prejudice & Racism
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Animal / Biodiversity / Plant Adaptations, Animals, Biography / Memoir, Discrimination, Dreams & Aspirations, History & Civics, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Integrity / Honesty, Nonfiction, Occupations, Overcoming Obstacles, People In Motion, Persistence / Grit, Poverty, Pride, Self Control / Self Regulation, Sports, Sports History
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 11
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 6
  • Guided Reading V
  • ATOS Book Level 5.9
  • DRA 50
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 6
  • Lexile Code AD
  • Lexile Level 970
  • Reading Level Grades 5 - 6
  • SRC 5.6
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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