Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
B Is for Baseball: Running the Bases from A to Z
Illustrator: David Habben
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 4 to 8
Chronicle Books, 2009 ISBN: 0811860965
Until relatively recently baseball was THE game that most Americans identified with. Children knew player’s stats off by heart, and they collected baseball cards. Adults listened to games on the radio or watched them on the T.V. with rapt attention. Going to a ball game was a treat that most people enjoyed. These days other games such as basketball, American football, and hockey are also popular.
Though baseball does not perhaps have the pride of place that it used to have, it still has its fans. In this beautifully presented alphabet book we get to explore some aspects of the baseball world. For each letter of the alphabet, the author provides her readers with between one and four words that are somehow related to baseball. For example, on the H page the words helmet, hot dogs, home plate, and Hall of Fame are explained. Along with the explanations, there are illustrations and photographs. Most of the photographs are vintage and show famous players like Babe Ruth, Yogi Bera, Willie Mays, and others. These splendid photos and the presentation of the book give the title an old-fashioned feel that is charming and unique.
