Baseball Baby

by Diane Adams, Charlene Chua (Illustrator)

Overview

This original board book series, which begins with America's favorite pasttime—baseball—is sure to be a homerun with the youngest of readers and the sports-loving grown-ups in their lives.

A toddler spends an afternoon at the park with his family where he is introduced to baseball for the first time. He makes a few mistakes as he warms up, takes the field, and goes to bat, but he keeps going until he scores the final run of the day and goes to bed a winner.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593202432
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/12/2021
Series:	A Sports Baby Book
Pages:	22
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD250L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 Months to 2 Years

About the Author

Diane Adams enjoys playing golf and watching baseball, among other sports. She's the author of successful picture books such as Love Is, Two Hands to Love You, I Can Do It Myself!, and I Want to Help!. She holds her master's degree in English literature from California State University, San Bernardino, where she teaches children's literature and humanities. Diane spends much of her time writing, visiting schools, and speaking at conferences.

Charlene Chua was born and grew up in Singapore, and moved to Canada in 2007. She started worked as a web designer before moving to illustration full-time. She is working on her author/illustrator debut, Hug?, which will be published in 2020. She now lives with her husband (and cats!) in Hamilton, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

2021-06-02
A toddler enjoys a family baseball game and explains baseball basics.

The focus of the first-person narrative is the titular tot, a Black child with short hair wearing a pin-striped shirt and blue baseball cap (those who aren’t Yankee fans may not appreciate the look). The other players, all members of the same Black family, include an older, gray-haired “coach,” a pink-clad kid with hair in a topknot Afro puff, a goatee’d grown-up, and a ponytailed adult. Together they play a robust game of what is actually T-ball—a bit easier for the preschool set to emulate. The action includes practice throws, catching fly balls, batting, and even a home run to finish the game. The narrative consists of gentle rhyming verse, slightly forced to accommodate all the baseball vocabulary: “Up it flies. / The outfield chases. / I drop my bat / and run the bases.” Various critters, including a bird, an earthworm, and a bunny, can be seen cheering on the players. The boldly colored cartoon figures stand out well against the softer, more muted landscapes. The outing ends with the little baseball player tucked into bed, still wearing “my lucky hat.”

A simple but action-packed story for the littlest ballplayers. (Board book. 1-3)

Kirkus Reviews