Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio Cassette)

by Peggy Parish (Author), Wallace Tripp (Illustrator), Suzanne Toren (Narrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Amelia Bedelia, who knows very little about baseball, stands in for a sick player during a game. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author
The late Peggy Parish, well known for her stories about Amelia Bedelia, wrote many popular books for children, including Dinosaur Time, illustrated by Arnold Lobel.

"I hate reading but your books are changing my opinion." This letter, from a young Peggy Parish fan, comes as no surprise to the teachers and librarians who have put her books in the hands of children over the years. Ms. Parish wrote nearly three dozen children's books-many of which include her most famous character, the literal-minded maid named Amelia Bedelia.

Peggy Parish knew what children like to read. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English, she taught school in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and, for over 15 years, at the well-known, progressive Dalton School in New York City. It was at Dalton that she began to find ways to release her creative ideas and energy, Though she never took a writing course, "writing stories for children came naturally." Her first book, published in 1961, was followed with Let's Be Indians and in 1963 with her unforgettable Amelia Bedelia.

Always involved with education in some way, Peggy Parish did television pieces on preschool education and children's books, wrote children's-book review columns, and led numerous in-service training workshops for teachers. In discussing her ideas about education, she said, "Children's rights are taken away from them when they enter school. What I try to show teachers is that all the skills needed to read can be taught outside of textbooks. Today's children are not going to read what they are not interested in. And if a positive attitude toward reading is not developed during the first three years of school, it is virtually impossible to develop it later."

After living in New York for many years, Peggy Parish returned to her native South Carolina. She died in November, 1988. But Ameila Bedelia did not die. Peggy Parish's nephew, Herman Parish, has written Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia and Bravo, Amelia Bedelia!, published by Greenwillow Books in 1995 and 1997 respectively. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. (May 1985)
• ISBN-10: 069400037X
• ISBN-13: 978-0694000371
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,349,994 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for Adults and Children Alike, April 3, 2001

By	K. Downey (Atmore, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia (I Can Read Book 2) (Paperback)

As a child, I read many Amelia Bedelia books and never tired of them. As an adult, I am looking forward to sharing so many of the stories with my own child. The fact that Amelia takes everything so literally allows for countless scenarios which children (and adults) will find hilarious. Whether "stealing home plate" or "dressing the turkey," Amelia always surprises and delights. Children will be begging parents to read these stories again and again. We can all use good, clean humor in our lives. The time to instill that love of laughter should begin in childhood, and the Amelia Bedelia books will certainly delight children everywhere.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Baseball Book, August 9, 2001

By	Tonya Cabral (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia (I Can Read Book 2) (Paperback)

I came across this book while looking for books about baseball for my preschooler. Not much to choose from in this niche market, but this book is a hit! My son thinks it's funny when Amelia Bedelia "steals the bases" and "runs home". Wish there were more books like this!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amelia Bedelia "literally" plays the game of baseball, April 24, 2004

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

This review is from: Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia (I Can Read Book 2) (Paperback)

Not since Abbot asked Costello "Who's on First?" has the national pastime been taken so literally. Taking things literally is precisedly what Amelia Bedelia has been doing ever since she first became a housekeeper. Tell her to "Dust the furniture" and she will dutifully find the Dusting Powder and do as she was told, even though at her house they undust the furniture. In Peggy Parish's "Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia," the Grizzlies baseball team is in trouble when one of their players gets sick and they need a replacement for their big game with the Tornadoes. Who steps up to the plate to save the day up the literal-minded Amelia Bedelia.

The fun, of course, comes when the kids tell Amelia Bedelia to tag a runner or make a base hit. Then there is the uniform that she comes up with (you need a uniform to play baseball, right?). The illustrations by Wallace Tripp capture the fun as Amelia Bedelia plays the game of baseball like nobody has ever played it before. Besides, you should see what Amelia Bedelia looks like when she swings a bat. Fortunately, one things she knows how to do right is to fix an empty cookie jar because she makes really great cookies (although she has doubts about using home plate to serve them on to her teammates). Fans of Peggy Parish's creation will enjoy seeing her on the baseball diamond while there might be some fans of the sport who will be introduced to the literally-minded housekeeper for the first time.