I Love Gymnastics (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Blanche Howard (Author) "Jessica loved gymnastics at school, so she joined a gymnastics club to learn more..." (more)
Key Phrases: floor routine

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4 Through exquisite soft-focus photographs, readers experience a young girl's first class at a gymnastic club with her friend. Children will move through the lesson with the girls and their diverse classmates, including two boys. Each spread focuses on a particular skill. Discussions of stretching, conditioning, splits, and rolls are followed by information on advanced skills on the beam, vault, apparatus, rings, and bars. Safety procedures, appropriate clothing, sequencing, and competing are also considered. Both large and smaller step-by-step photographs have clarifying captions and descriptions. An attractive book for children interested in knowing more about this sport. Janice C. Hayes, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. Similar in format to Ballet School (2003)and Ice Skating School (2004), this book, also illustrated with Handley's irresistible photos, invites readers inside a British gymnastics training center. Variations in experience are accommodated through an upbeat narrative that brings an absolute beginner, a girl of about seven, to class with her more advanced friend. The newcomer receives tutorials in warm-ups and safety and then watches her racially diverse classmates practice moves on floor, vault, beam, and bars. An older student demonstrates choreographed routines, prefacing the younger girls' preparation for a first competition. American gymnasts may be bemused by some of the British terminology, and boys' events are discussed in only two spreads. But members of the book's target audience, a group clearly indicated by the soft-focus cover image of a girl in a pretty sky-blue uniform striking a graceful pose, will appreciate the attractive, up-to-date coverage of a sport that tends to receive only sporadic attention clustering around summer Olympics. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN (August 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756610117
• ISBN-13: 978-0756610111
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,168 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful & Adorable!, April 26, 2006

By	Olivia Quinn (Colorado, United States) - See all my reviews

This book is pictoral in nature, and follows the progress of a group of young students during a series of gymnastics classes, ending with a competition. The photography is beautiful, and basic gymnastics skills (stretches, splits, cartwheels, etc.) are demonstrated by the students. The book is geared toward young girls, probably around ages 4-8. However, the photography is excellent and the storyline is not too terribly babyish for older fans to enjoy, too. This would be a great addition to a gymnastics library.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great information, March 12, 2007

By	Hilari C. Freeman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great book for girls who are involved in gymnastics and are inspiring to be on the team someday. It is geared towards girls probably up to age 9-10. I have a 5 and 7 year old that are in gymnastics and really like the book. There are many pictures and descriptions on how to do what is involved and what they can look forward to as they progress. Great book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful photographs, aimed at beginners, February 26, 2009

By	Carol C. "ccjello" (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Like most DK books, this one is full of beautiful photographs. It follows five young girls -- Jessica, Hannah, Tyra, Tiggy & Molly -- from their first days at the gym, hopping, running, and stretching, through their training, culminating with a competitive meet where each of the girls win medals. Throughout, the girls are having fun and learning proper techniques.

The pictures are very nice, but the text is equally important and quite well-written. The book defines all of the terms and stunts depicted. It explains the importance of different fundamental moves, gives some instruction of how to learn the moves (how to work up to full front splits and box splits, how to do a forward roll and a cartwheel). The little girls are adorable, and excel in different areas. There are many photographs with captions that emphasize the need for practice and perseverance -- like "I'm going to keep on trying!" and "I`m trying hard not to wobble" (while walking on the balance beam).

Each piece of apparatus used in competitive gymnastics is shown. It also features the boys events, which is not always the case with gymnastics books.

Overall, this is an inspiring picture book for young girls and beginners. There's nothing too complicated here -- mostly simple stunts that are within reach of a beginner. Because it is at the beginner level, it's not as fascinating as something with more advanced stunts. My five-year-old daughter enjoys looking at all of the "cute little girls" doing stunts, but she`s not mesmerized or compelled to look the book time and time again like she is of photographs of more complicated and intriguing moves, or of gymnasts like Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson rather than amateur six year olds. Nonetheless, the book is still quite well done.

Highly recommended for the young novice gymnast or anyone wishing to learn a bit more about the basics of gymnastics.