There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived [Hardcover]

Matt Tavares (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: February 14, 2012 | Age Range: 6 - 9 years | Lexile Measure: 810L (What's this?)

A lively picture book biography of Ted Williams from a master of the genre — just in time for Fenway Park's centennial.

Ted Williams lived a life of dedication and passion. He was an ordinary kid who wanted one thing: to hit a baseball better than anyone else. So he practiced his swing every chance he got. He did fingertip push-ups. He ate a lot of food. He practiced his swing again. And then practiced it some more. From his days playing ball in North Park as a kid to his unmatched .406 season in 1941 to his heroic tours of duty as a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, the story of Teddy Ballgame is the story of an American hero. In this engrossing biography, a companion to Henry Aaron’s Dream, Matt Tavares makes Ted Williams’s life story accessible to a whole new generation of fans who are sure to admire the hard work, sacrifice, and triumph of the greatest hitter who ever lived.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Tavares’s full-bleed spreads alternate with sepia-toned spot drawings, all beautifully arranged in this old-fashioned but evergreen tribute.
—The New York Times

With smooth, sweeping lines and naturalistic details, Tavares’s mixed-media artwork conveys Williams’s joyful devotion to his sport.
—Publishers Weekly

Kids will especially like that this wonderful picture book spends a lot of time talking about the childhood of the famous Boston Red Sox slugger... An exciting and inspiring story.
—Washington Post KidsPost

About the Author

Matt Tavares is the author-illustrator of Zachary’s Ball, Oliver’s Game, Mudball, and Henry Aaron’s Dream, and the illustrator of Over the River and Through the Wood,’Twas the Night Before Christmas: Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas, The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup, and Lady Liberty: A Biography by Doreen Rappaport. Matt Tavares lives in Ogunquit, Maine.

Product Details

• Age Range: 6 - 9 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (February 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763627895
• ISBN-13: 978-0763627898
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 0.4 x 12.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( W ) > Williams, Ted
  • #89 in Books > Children's Books > History > Military & Wars

More About the Author

About me

I grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. I have always loved to draw. My parents say I've been drawing since I was two years old. During high school I took figure drawing classes at Boston University on weekends (a special class for high school students), and then in college I majored in Studio Art. For my senior thesis at Bates College, I wrote and illustrated my first picture book, Sebastian's Ball. Two years later, after much revision, Sebastian's Ball became ZACHARY'S BALL, my first published book. Now I live in Ogunquit, Maine with my wife, Sarah, and our two daughters.


About my work

My first books were illustrated in pencil, partly because that was the medium I felt most comfortable with at the time and partly because monochromatic illustrations felt right for those stories. Since then, my style and process has changed considerably, mostly because I found myself illustrating stories that simply demanded some color. For example, the beanstalk in JACK AND THE BEANSTALK just needed to be green, and the golden eggs needed to have a bright, yellow glow. Now I mostly work in full color, with watercolor and gouache. I try to let each story guide me, and adapt my process accordingly.


Three things you didn't know about me

1. The best birthday gift I've ever gotten was the drafting table my parents got for me when I turned ten. I still use it today. There are other tables in my studio, but I do all my drawing and painting at the table I got for my 10th birthday.

2. I once played on a softball team that lost every single game. Zero wins and sixteen losses! We did much better the next season though- we even won a playoff game!

3. A poster of Boston Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe reading my book, ZACHARY'S BALL, was once given out to the first 10,000 fans at a Boston Red Sox game! This was wonderful, until Derek Lowe entered the game in the 9th inning and proceeded to blow the lead for the Red Sox. Hundreds of people threw their posters onto the field, and the game had to be stopped for several minutes while the ground crew gathered all the posters!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Human Hero May 20, 2012

By Heather (Davidson) Maneiro

Format:Hardcover

This book tells the story of Ted Williams, baseball player and fighter pilot. The gem of this book, I believe, is the author's notes which explain how the author grew up hearing stories about this larger-than-life baseball hitter from his father. He also explains that during his research he found out things he perhaps would rather have not known - Ted's temper, language, and relationship with sports writers. This, of course, simply makes Ted Williams more real and human.

A great addition to a spring baseball unit. The author's notes add a human element to the hero - an important lesson for students

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars good read April 28, 2013

By michael parker

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I saw Ted Williams as a child and enjoyed Matt Tavares' rendition of his story......exciting and patriotic as well.....buy it

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple facts and stunning artwork April 24, 2013

By thewritersjourney

Format:Hardcover

The last .400 hitter in the major leagues. Twice a Triple Crown winner. Military hero. How do you introduce the late, great Ted Williams to a generation that is so far removed from his historic baseball career? Author Matt Tavares gives baseball fans a great tool at passing down the lore of the Splendid Splinter with There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived. A very quick read at only 40 pages, Tavares touches on Williams' youth, his time in San Diego, his arrival in Boston, his service to the country, and his return to Boston after serving as a fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War. That's a lot of information to pack into 40 pages, but Tavares does a wonderful job of simplifying the facts for younger readers.

My favorite part of There Goes Ted Williams is easily the artwork. Each page contains beautifully painted pictures of Teddy Ballgame hitting home runs, signing autographs, or running away from an exploding airplane. Even if there was not a single word printed on the pages, the book would be worth the cover price for the artwork alone.

Recommended for children aged 6-10, There Goes Ted Williams is the book you need to begin teaching youngsters about "the greatest hitter who ever lived."

5.0 out of 5 stars For my son March 23, 2013

By Coach Javier

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

We love it! It is a great deal, the book is in great shape and we both have read it.
Thank you, Javier

5.0 out of 5 stars You can't help starting to love Ted Williams, too, after reading this book December 8, 2012

By Debnance at Readerbuzz

Format:Hardcover

I know nothing about baseball. I grew up in Alvin, Texas in the sixties. When I grew up, I went to work teaching out-of-town and the first thing people said to me when I introduced myself was whether I knew Nolan Ryan. "Who is Nolan Ryan?" I asked.

So don't think that I adore this book just because I adore baseball. I am still clueless about baseball.

Even if you are like me, don't let that stop you from reading this book. Matt Tavares shows his adoration of Ted Williams on every page. You can't help starting to love Ted, too, as you read along, learning that Ted grew up always swinging something, becoming one of the best hitters ever by the time he was twenty-two when he was unexpectedly drafted in World War II, coming back from the war and picking up right where he left off in baseball, and then being sent off again for combat missions in Korea this time, crash landing his plane, somehow okay, and then going on to play for seven more baseball seasons.

Amazing how much this story made me love Ted Williams and baseball. Just think how much you will like this book if you already love Ted and baseball.