Mean, greedy Boss Swaggert outlaws the game of baseball, playing fields are bulldozed, players are imprisoned, and spring disappears; but in the midst of the new, constant winter, a small boy named Georgie Radbourn challenges Swaggert to a game, and wins.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The Big Brother of this dystopian tale is Boss, a former baseball star so embittered by a run of bad luck that he vows to outlaw baseball forever. Amassing piles of money, buying control of the media and declaring himself head of the country, he realizes his aim and then some: even the use of baseball slang ("screwball," "hit") becomes grounds for arrest by his Factory Police. Without the game, America sinks into a literal perpetual winter, until young Georgie Radbourn beats Boss at a winner-take-all contest on Boss's old turf, striking him out neatly and thus returning the game, and the warmer seasons, to a grateful nation. Even Shannon's ( The Rough-Face Girl ) art is gloomy, sometimes oppressive--heavy oils in muted, dark colors and with mostly blurred expressions, save for the grotesquely outsized Boss. The central conceit--that life without baseball is scarcely worth living--may strike all but the most avid fans as precious and thin, and adult points of reference are needed to clarify the story. A ponderous and disappointing outing. All ages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-Baseball fans of many ages will revel in this story. After being booed and jeered by the home crowd during a terrible slump, Boss Swaggert storms off the field never to play baseball again, vowing that someday the sport would be declared illegal. Becoming rich and powerful over the years, he buys up the media and extols the evils of the game. Eventually, having all of America believing him, he has the president arrested for "Conspiracy to Commit Baseball" for throwing out the first ball of the season, declares himself Chief Executive Officer of America, and outlaws the game. Without baseball, spring never comes and the winter months turn slowly into freezing years. Enter Georgie Radbourn, who inexplicably utters sayings about baseball every time he opens his mouth and ends up on trial before his 10th birthday. This eventually leads to a showdown between him and Swaggert, and a happy ending ensues. Shannon's dark, somber paintings, somewhat reminiscent of William Joyce's work, dramatically portray the mood of the story, brightening at the end while illustrating Georgie's triumph. A home run!-Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
DAVID SHANNON is the illustrator of many successful picture books, including How I Became a Pirate. His numerous awards include a Caldecott Honor for No, David! He lives in Burbank, California.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well done plot and illustrations,
By traderje "traderje" (Through the Window) - See all my reviews
This review is from: How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball (Library Binding)
How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball by David Shannon (1994) uses sequential color impact well. There is a plot to rid the world of Baseball. The color schemes are dark to indicate a somber mood in the beginning, and as the villain progresses. As the villain is foiled, the illustrations lighten in hue, symbolizing the lifting of the mood of the characters. There are other color cues as well, such as the hero's bright yellow baseball cap. Good illustrations and plot. If the child is not a baseball fan, there may not be enough interest, but well done otherwise.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
David Shannon does it again!,
By scout@best.com (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball (Library Binding)
Wow, what a book! I fell in love with the graphics first and then the book. David Shannon is a talented illustrator as well as an inventive author. This picture book will charm older children (and adults) of all ages. The lessons hidden in this wonderful story about how baseball was saved by a young boy come across easily to all levels. Our junior high is using it as a schoolwide springboard for our annual Literature Week and we'll have everyone from the P.E. department to math and science building lessons around this treasure of a book. If you like a good story, if you love baseball, you'll certainly want to enjoy this book.
1 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great family book,
This review is from: How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball (Library Binding)
This is a good, old fashioned baseball story. Great book to read to your kids. Just what America needs more of.
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