Play Ball! [Hardcover]

Jorge Posada (Author), Raul Colon (Illustrator), Robert Burleigh (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2006 | Age Level: 6 and up

Jorge loves the feel of the ball in his glove, the bat in his hand, and the game of baseball. He is as good as any right-handed hitter on the Casa Cuba team -- but his father tells him, "Good isn't best."

"Baseball is a game of inches," his coach tells him. And when Casa Cuba is up against Club Caparra and their pitcher's sidearm rocket, a switch-hitter is just what Casa Cuba needs.

Based on the childhood of New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, this is the story of a boy from Puerto Rico who worked hard to be his best and didn't stop until he was a champion.

A portion of the proceeds of this book will beneþt the Jorge Posada Foundation.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3 This book is based on the childhood of the Yankee all-star catcher. Although young Jorge is a good ballplayer, his father warns him that to be the best he must learn to be a switch-hitter. Reluctantly, the boy takes up the challenge and practices with his father, friends, and coach as Casa Cuba's big game with its archrival team looms. Abruptly, Jorge and his family are visiting New York City. While watching a game at Yankee Stadium, the boy declares, Some day I'm going to play here. On the following page, the action moves to the big game in Puerto Rico, where Jorge is having a miserable time at the plate. On his last at-bat, he drives home his teammates with a game-winning double. Colón's soft, impressionistic, watercolor-and-pencil illustrations fail to enliven or add interesting detail to this bland story. With its predictable and simplistic message of determination and hard work, it adds nothing fresh or memorable to the genre of children's sports stories. Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA
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About the Author

Jorge Posada is an all-star catcher for the New York Yankees, a position he has held since 2000. Laura Posada is an attorney, a certified personal trainer, and CEO of Laura Posada, LLC. The couple lives with their two children, Jorge Luis and Paulina, in Florida.

Robert Burleigh is the award-winning author of many books for children, including, Hoops, a SLJ Best Book of the Year and a Booklist Editor's Choice, Lookin' for Bird in the Big City which received the New York Society Library Award for the best children's book of the year, and Toulouse-Lautrec: The Moulin Rouge and the City of Light which was an ALA Notable Book. His many other books include Stealing Home, Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep! and By My Brother's Side, for which he was a contributing author.  He lives in Michigan.

RaÚl ColÓn has illustrated several highly acclaimed picture books including the New York Times bestselling Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt and Susanna Reich's JosÉ! Born to Dance, which received a starred review in Booklist. Mr. ColÓn lived in Puerto Rico as a young boy and now resides in New City, New York, with his family.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books; First Edition edition (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416906878
• ISBN-13: 978-1416906872
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,144,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great baseball book for kids!, June 7, 2007

By 

Patrick M. Byers (Issaquah, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Play Ball! (Hardcover)

Okay, I have no idea what a few of the other reviewers are talking about. If you and your child enjoy baseball, there's no way you wouldn't consider this book a homerun.

I'm not a Yankees fan, but I really enjoyed this book. My four-year-old got it when he was three, loves it, and wants to read it over and over.

The story is written by Posada with the help of Robert Burleigh, the author of the excellent Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth. The illustrations are excellent. The story moves along at a perfect pace, is well written, and shows a young player that baseball takes a lot of patience.

This book belong on your shelf with Casey At the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888 (Caldecott Honor Book), Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Aladdin Picture Books) and other great children's baseball books.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book and my granddaughter loved it. Art work was good too., September 26, 2010

By 

Phyllis Younts - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Play Ball! (Paperback)

This is a great text that lets kids know they can become all that they want if they are willing to invest the time. It's a matter of desire. Love that baseball theme too.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I really wanted to love this one, December 1, 2006

By 

Cathy "Multicultural Book Reviewer" (Lincoln, NE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play Ball! (Hardcover)

Puerto Rican native and current Yankee catcher Jorge Posada tells the story of his boyhood struggles to become a switch hitter and big league player. The story contains sudden scene changes that might confuse young readers and listeners.