Children's Literature
- Susie Wilde
What do you get when you add numbers, rhymes, baseball terms, and the excitement of a game? Why this book, of course! Short rhymes show how numbers are integral to baseball and give support to make this an easy-read hit. The illustrations add the last crucial element: a small boy's enjoyment of baseball from one bat and ball to the nineteen ice cream cones he shares with other players at game's end. Young children can understand, appreciate and learn about the sport. The author has found a familiar format to slide in information and pass on her passion for baseball.
Children's Literature
- Tracy Defina
For readers learning to play baseball or those who just love the game, this is the book for them. Packed with details like how many players are on a team and how to keep score, it's sure to be a hit. What's especially clever about this book is that it's a counting book too. So while they're learning about baseball, they'll be learning to count! Realistic paintings bring the game to life as does the action. From picking out equipment to celebrating with ice cream young readers will be entertained by this clever rhyming, counting book.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3-Numbers from 0 to 20 are featured in this rhyming picture book. Some of them fit naturally into baseball terminology, such as 3 strikes, 2 teams, and 9 positions. Others, like 12 pieces of gear and 19 ice-cream cones, are more arbitrary, but still tie in to the theme. Kids without basic familiarity with the sport won't fully understand why "5" is a "full count" or why there are 6 infielders. The double-page spread for "20" helps, though, by showing baseball cards, several of which offer glossary-type information about the sport. A game seems to progress along with the counting, starting with a 0 to 0 score and ending with a game-winning grand slam. Unfortunately, many of the rhyming couplets suffer from awkward rhythms: "Eleven bats to choose from-/find one that feels right./Keep your eye on the ball,/and hit with all your might." Acrylic illustrations depict the action from a variety of perspectives, including a double-page, wide-angle view of the field (showing the 9 positions) and a close-up look at 10 fingers gripping the bat. Team members include both boys and girls from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Figures and faces are a bit stiff in some cases, but the determination of the young players and some of the fun of the game do come through. Though not particularly exciting, this is a pleasant enough introduction to a popular sport.-Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, OR
Kirkus Reviews
An agreeable rhyming counting book with a baseball theme. The story opens on a little league field where the Blue Sox and the Stars face off: "Come play baseball/You could be a hero./The game's starting score/is zero to zero." The teams of boys and girls run up the numbers to 20, and baseball rules and lore are imparted painlessly: "When there's a full count, we say, `Three and two.'/Five fingers up! His turn's almost through." A grand slam ends the game, with 19 ice cream cones and 20 baseball cards that give a clear and accurate summary of the main rules of the game. Shaw's stocky acrylic-on-board figures have less zest than his beautifully rendered bats and balls, lush green field and blue sky, and a friendly, ice-cream-loving dog. Younger children whose radar may have picked up McGwire and Sosa, Piazza and Brosius will be ready for spring training after this one. (Picture book. 3-7) .
