Jason Rat-A-Tat [Hardcover]

Colby Rodowsky (Author), Beth Peck (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 2002 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

A book for young readers about realizing one’s passion

Jason Miller’s family is always on the go, and always for the same reason: ball games. Jason spends a lot of time on the sidelines, because he’s not much for playing sports. He sometimes watches the games, and sometimes stretches out on the bleachers to watch the clouds roll by. But whatever he does, Jason is always happiest when he accompanies it with the tap-tap-tap of a stick on a trash can, or the shake-shake-shake of a can of bottle caps. It’s Jason’s granddad who, during a weeklong visit, first notices Jason’s bent for all things rat-a-tat. One day Granddad comes home with a large package that’s the perfect thing for a boy who may be no ballplayer but is, instead, a talented musician in the making.

Colby Rodowsky has created a winning character in Jason, and Beth Peck’s pictures are a gentle accompaniment.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Geared to readers ready for chapter books, Rodowsky's (Not My Dog) slim story centers on a nine-year-old whose entire family is enamored of ball games. Everyone except Jason, that is. He is a good sport about being dragged along to his brother's baseball games (their father coaches the team) and his sister's soccer games (their mother is coach of that team), but he's just not interested. At practices and games, he concentrates on deciphering animal shapes among the passing clouds or constructs a fort near the bleachers with his best friend. And he spends much of his time making music with makeshift instruments: he toots songs through paper-towel rolls, plays imaginary piano along the edge of his desk and sounds a "rat-a-tat" by hitting pencils or sticks against various surfaces. In a rather contrived scene, Jason suddenly realizes that he wants to play the drums while he and his family watch a marching band perform in the Memorial Day parade. Readers will immediately guess the contents of the large box that Jason's visiting grandfather presents to the child soon thereafter. Though kids with interests that differ from their siblings and peers may find reassurance in this tale, Rodowsky's usually nuanced writing is bland and her plot predictable. Final artwork not seen by PW. Ages 7-10.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. Everyone in nine-year-old Jason's family loves ball games: older brother Andrew plays baseball; younger sister Emily plays soccer; and Mom and Dad coach teams. Jason doesn't play anything, but he doesn't mind going to games. While everyone is playing, he builds forts, daydreams, or finds animal shapes in the clouds. But sports-loving Mom and Dad want Jason to participate. It takes insightful, wise Grandpa to spot Jason's true affinity--music. When Jason starts drum lessons, he finally has an answer to "What do you play?" In language that's basic but engaging, Rodowsky captures the alienation of being different from one's family as well as the thrilling discovery of a special talent and passion. Many children will see themselves in Jason's dreamy character and feel his frustrations, and Peck's realistic line drawings show the familiar family scenes with appealing detail. This quiet, moving story will resonate with kids who have recently transitioned to chapter books. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 68 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (April 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374336717
• ISBN-13: 978-0374336714
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,655,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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