My Baseball Book (Hardcover)

by Gail Gibbons (Author, Illustrator) "Baseball is fun, whether you are playing yourself or rooting for your favorite team..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-In picture-book format, Gibbons provides the basic facts about two popular sports. Using short, clear sentences, she defines terms, explains the rules, and describes scoring. One line in each book mentions the equipment necessary for each game, but the information is well augmented by clearly labeled, colorful drawings showing additional gear, such as shin guards for soccer players or protective covering for the baseball catcher. Both books contain diagrams of the game fields. However, the words selected for the brief glossaries seem arbitrary; for example, "cleat" is defined in Soccer, but not in Baseball. These informative books will be enjoyed by new players or spectators of older siblings' events.
Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
This small square picture-book introduction to our national pastime is accurate but unexciting. Brief information about equipment, clothing, positions, and basic play is conveyed through short, declarative sentences, illustrations, and a concluding one-page glossary. Gibbons focuses on children at play in an open field and emphasizes having fun whether you're a player or a spectator. Her recognizable cartoon illustrations in full color feature both girls and boys, some shaded to represent African-Americans. This complements Margaret Blackstone's livelier book, This is Baseball, which has a briefer text and follows an adult game played at a stadium. Though flatly told, it would probably be perfect for reading to a young child who is about to attend a baseball game for the first time. A companion volume isMy Soccer Book. -- Kirkus Review 4/1/00

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688171370
• ISBN-13: 978-0688171377
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 6.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,946 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #3 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( G ) > Gibbons, Gail
  #7 in	Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Sports > Baseball > Nonfiction
  #7 in	Books > Sports > Other Team Sports > Softball

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect!, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This is a great book for kids! I bought it to introduce my six year old son to baseball. It covers how the game is actually played, rules of play, and reinforces important baseball terms. At just the right length, this book is perfectly titled - My Baseball Book. Great for any budding, young baseball fan!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Introducing the game of baseball to younger readers, July 13, 2004

By	Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"My Baseball Book" by Gail Gibbons provides an introduction to the sport of baseball by describing the equipment, playing field, rules, players, and process of the game. The idea is to explain the basics to young readers (ages 3 to 7), so they will understand not only the markings on a baseball diamond, what baseball players wear, and all the positions, but also get a sense of how games are played and why a home run can be a big thrill. Most of the book is devoted to Gibbons describing a game between the Robins and the Owls, in which young readers get the chance to see hits, walks, runs, and other baseball plays in the context of a game.

Although this is supposed to be an introductory book to the game of baseball the information does get a bit technical at times, which means that an adult or older sibling is going to have to explain this a bit more. For example, at one point it is explained that in addition to being a strike if the batter swings and misses that it is also a strike if the batter does not swing but the ball passes through the "strike zone." There are dotted lines suggesting that the strike zone extends from the batter's armpits to his knees, but nothing to add that the ball also has to be over the plate (until you get to the term "strike" in the glossary in the back of the book). Still, on balance "My Baseball Book" is going to help kids by reinforcing what they are learning out on the field, which is the most important way of learning the game.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice pictures, needs more expainations., September 4, 2001

By A Customer

My children enjoyed the pictures a lot, but did not understand everything the book was describing. If you were already familar with the sport it might be easier. Tends to read flat and technical.