From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3–Eddie's older brother is a star in baseball, basketball, and football; as hard as the younger boy tries, he can never measure up to him. Eddie loves telling the neighborhood kids about Harold's exploits, though, and this leads to his eventual realization of his true talents. Set in a big city in the days of knickers and hand-pushed ice-cream carts, this story has a nostalgic charm, yet lacks the emotional complexity that marks the lives of real children. Unlike the fictional Eddie, most youngsters would probably feel at least occasionally envious of Harold. And some of the dialogue doesn't ring true; for instance, Harold tells his brother, "Let's try to think of something you do well and really love." The skillfully done watercolors add a lot of atmosphere and humor, especially when showing Eddie's mishaps playing baseball. Based on childhood memories of the authors, the former mayor of New York City and his sister, this book is recommended for larger collections or where local interest warrants purchase.
–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
K-Gr. 3. Eddie's big brother, Harold, is a terrific athlete. All the kids want Harold on their team, but Eddie can't hit or catch the ball. Eventually Harold gets tired of Eddie's tagging along ("You're no good at sports"), and he tells his brother to do what he really does best--talk. Eddie wins the school public speaking contest, and, yes, he grows up to become mayor of New York City. This fictional picture-book is far from the usual heavy-handed, celebrity inspirational message, especially because there's humor in Eddie's success; he has to figure out when to
stop talking. Warhola's active, comic watercolors create a lively sense of the diverse city neighborhood in the early 1930s, on the street, in the park, and close-up at home. Best of all are the scenes of the players after the games, enraptured by Eddie's play-by-play "talk" of their wonderful achievements. With its affectionate humor about the brothers' rivalry and the klutz who wins in the end, this autobiographical story will have wide appeal--even for kids who don't know Koch.
Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
