Customer Reviews

Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This books opens with the Great Bambino as a child. Remindingyou of your own innocent childhood. It then leaps to his professinalcareer where it slows down to one at bat. (the moment) It is written with a grace for detail that makes you feel like part of the story. You hear the crack of the bat, feel the dirt under your spikes, the "soft hardness of the base", and hear the defening sound of the crowd. This book brings tears to my eyes everytime I read it to my daughter and my son. Maybe one day they will read it to their children and know why. END

Purchased this for my nephew who is overweight, uncoordinated and loves playing baseball. Reading this to him increased his joy of the game and gave him confidence to keep trying to improve his own skills. Taught him to do best with the skills he had right now and even how to deal with successes in life. This level of understanding was terrific for children and adult alike. Excellent book for sharing special time with children.

When I first saw the cover painting by Mike Wimmer on "Home Run" I was not sure if it was supposed to be Babe Ruth. In his glory days the Bambino had a body like an inverted pyramid, with those broad shoulders tapering down to those thin little ankles and tiny feet, and there are some paintings in "Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth" that do not especially look like the Babe. However, those are few and far between.

The text by Robert Burleigh comes in two parts. First, there is the book's narrative, a sort of lyric ode to the Babe that combines his discovering his "pretty" swing as a boy with a home run he hits off of a Red Sox pitcher years later. Second, under the narrative text there is the back of a faux-baseball card (from "The World Champion" series), that has biographical and statistical details about Ruth.

However, the centerpiece of this book is the time at bat that takes up the last half of the book. Earlier there is a striking painting of Ruth launching a pop-up; the view is from behind the catcher who has taken off his mask, all eyes turned to the sky and the small white ball rising into the sky. Wimmer offers several unique and compelling perspectives during the home run episode as well: the Red Sox first baseman craning his neck to follow the flight of the unseen ball, the eyes of Ruth watching it disappear into the stands, the Babe's foot on first base as the pitcher stands dejectedly on the mound.

There is a quote on the back-flap of the dust-jacket that says the "Chicago Sun-Times" described Wimmer's illustrations as "reminiscent of some of Normal Rockwell's best." Certainly there are strong similarities, especially in the painting of the fans reacting to Ruth's homerun. But with his emphasis on key details to tell the story Wimmer offers a decidedly different perspective from Rockwell that I really liked. Ultimately, it is the artwork rather than the narrative that makes this a lyrical book.

This is a beautiful picture book but it is for much younger children than whom i purchased it for. He is Ten and would have read it in fifteen min. not what i expected.

To `people of pallor,' Babe Ruth's still their 'Number 1' thrill . . .
To people of color? Josh Gibson's the `King of the Hill.'

Just as pitchers named "Koufax" and "Heller" were once "all the rage,"
The greatest of hurlers just may be the great Satchel Paige.

The first, died the year Jackie Robinson entered the majors,
While Paige was denied `Hall of Fame' -- until '72!

Some say `The Bambino" was known as "the white Joshua Gibson"
And Paige? Well, he "never looked back - someone's gaining on you!"

And as for this book? it's the "best about Babe" that is 'out there'
Deservedly, thanks to "Bob Burleigh" and "Mike Wimmer" too!
Those paintings evoke "Norman Rockwell," I'd say -- wouldn't you?

Yes thanks for a 'HOME RUN' that's sales-ranked this day "60-thousand"
[At least in "December of '09" (this date) that is true.]

Just thought that I'd sing of your praise, in this way, with a poem,
An "Ode to the greats," (not just Babe!)that I'm sending to you.


Mark Blackburn
Winnipeg Canada

nice book but thought it was a little childish...thought it would be more autobiograsphical...reminded me of a formal comic book

I liked it when Babe said (I like to see the skiny ball hit the fat bat). I liked it when the Author said he`s always had this swing NO coach tought him.