Let's Play Football!

Children's Literature - Elizabeth Sulock

Let's Play Football is part of Capstone Press's series on sports and activities. The simple text informs young readers about football and related safety precautions. Mader opens by explaining how, when playing football, kids punt, pass, and tackle while detailing the object of the game: to score a touchdown and field goal. She describes football equipment, including the construction of a pigskin and a football field, along with safety gear such as helmets, mouth guards, padding, and cleats. Quite possibly the best feature of Let's Play Football is that it is filled with full-page color photographs of kids in action. Featured pictures include kids playing football informally and on organized teams. These pictures work to motivate children to be more active while supporting national physical education standards and living a physically active lifestyle. Like many books by Capstone Press, there is a glossary of football terms, Read More, a list of books related to the topic, and an explanation of where readers can find more information on the Internet. With short sentences and a large bold type, this is a great choice for young readers interested in football that is sure to inform and inspire.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1
These titles each have an introduction to the activity and chapters on "Equipment," "Safety," and "Having Fun." Early readers will like the large format; clear, attractive color photos; and simple sentence structure. Ski and Camping show children and adults enjoying these activities together. Specialized vocabulary is introduced with a relevant picture on the opposing page. The Web links listed use the Facthound search engine to reach further information but do not link to early-reader sites and so are more useful for parents or teachers.
—Ann RobinsonCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.