Traces the life of the Yankees' star ballplayer, focusing on his character and his struggle with the terminal disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The familiar story (no sources are given, but it follows the Gary Cooper movie, Pride of the Yankees, quite closely) is here: how Gehrig left college and signed with the Yankees to get money for his family; his remarkable, 14-year, 2,130-consecutive-game record; how he benched himself when he started to experience the effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; his farewell speech to Yankee fans ("I'm the luckiest man on the face of the earth"); his death at age 37 and the rain that fell on his funeral. Adler never overstates the adulation, which would sound hokey on anyone else's shoulders, but fits Gehrig snugly. Newcomer Widener's illustrations capture the texture of Gehrig's city and playing fields, although one spread—of Yankee Stadium in the rain—brings the book to a premature close (a dangling page of text follows). Readers will feel good after reading this biography—and maybe even inspired to start measuring themselves against Gehrig's standard.
Bridget_Heos
Posted January 16, 2012
There many great baseball picture books. This is one of the best. Grownups, if you are reading this aloud, you may tear up at some of the more poignant moments.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MarcyT
Posted February 23, 2009
I loved sharing this book with my kids. In today's society when it all seems like whomever has the most stuff wins, this books brings to light what's really important in live -- friends and family and recognizing all the blessings we have.
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Posted June 3, 2008
Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man by David A. Adler is one of my favorite books. The story is about Lou, who plays baseball. He lives in New York. Lou plays baseball and Lou¿s mother thought games and sports was a waste of time. He loves baseball. He went to a baseball team call the New York Yankees. Every single game he went. Lou gave a speech. He was crying when he gave the speech. Boys might like this book because of baseball, but some girls will like it too. Something sad is going to happen at the end and I can not tell you what it is. That is why you should read the book.
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Overview
This biography traces Gehrig’s life, from childhood through his illustrious career with the Yankees to his struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and his tragic death at age thirty-seven. Expressive illustrations capture the strength, modesty, and dignity for which this remarkable man will always be remembered. “Readers will feel good after reading this biography--and maybe even inspired to start measuring themselves against Gehrig’s ...