I Got Next: A Rhythmic Picture Book for Kids (Ages 4-8) About Basketball and African American Joy

It’s game day! In this action-packed picture book from Daria Peoples-Riley, the creator of the acclaimed This Is It, a young basketball player gets ready for a neighborhood pickup game.

I Got Next encourages hard work and determination and celebrates the imagination and the joy of basketball. Fans of Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, by Derrick Barnes, will devour this exuberant book.

Time to play! Put your game face on, play to win. Fight, all the way to the end.

A young basketball player practices on the playground, preparing for an upcoming pickup game while his shadow urges him to play hard and leave his heart on the court. As the boy dribbles and weaves, shoots and scores, his shadow gives him the encouragement he needs to overcome pregame jitters and join the competition.

Daria Peoples grew up in Paso Robles, California, in a household rich with culture. She has a degree in English from UC Santa Barbara and earned her master's in education from Regis University. The daughter of two educators, Daria Peoples has worked as an educator herself, teaching both English and art in elementary and middle schools and at the college level. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is the author-illustrator of This Is It; I Got Next; America, My Love, America, My Heart; and Hello, Mister Blue.