Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3-6. A lively and colorful overview with a scientific bent (and perhaps a few too many exclamation points). The book has all kinds of information: how the game is played, historical vignettes, sidebars, tips, and legendary stories. its about famous players such as Ichiro, Barry Bonds, and Ozzie Smith line up against should-be-well-known women, such as Jackie Mitchell and Molly McKesson. Tales of the Anaheim Rally Monkey and the catcher's new hockey-style mask play against sections on stats, ball delivery, and base running. Thomas also provides nifty experiments to try--among them, testing what would happen in play if you freeze or bake a baseball. The sprightly design work--bright colors, cartoons mixed with photos--adds immediacy and excitement. Thomas has it right: You don't have to be a baseball fanatic to read this book. --GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
New titles offer tips and information for budding athletes. How Baseball Works by Keltie Thomas, illus. by Greg Hall, details some of the history and how-to regarding America's favorite pastime. Chapters explain baseball gear and the ways the game has evolved over time, with hints and anecdotes related in sidebars such as "Legends of the Game," "Quick Hit" and "Try This." An explanation of basic rules and a glossary keep readers game-ready. Each spread is divided into small bites of information, and humorous cartoon illustrations (such as a caricatured Green Monster at Fenway Park) and photos add to the visual appeal. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-This attractive volume is filled with snippets of facts and trivia. Thomas starts with a description of the ball: what it's made of, how it's used in the major leagues, and how it has changed through the years. This is followed by a fascinating discussion of the "sneaky science of doctoring the ball," which includes recipes for "Gourmet Pitches," such as spitballs, scuffballs, and mud balls. Ensuing chapters serve up an introduction to various facets of the game: equipment, training, hitting, pitching, keeping statistics, and major-league ballparks. Four simple experiments are presented, and each section includes a brief anecdote about one of baseball's great players. One memorably gross yet hilarious example involves spitball pitcher "Big Ed" Walsh and legendary manager, Connie Mack. This book provides a fun overview of the game and the eye-catching graphics and color photographs add much to its appeal. Lawrence Ritter's The Story of Baseball (Morrow, 1999) and Dan Gutman's The Way Baseball Works (S & S, 1996) provide more comprehensive treatments of the topic for both hardcore fans and novices.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Biting off far more than she can chew, Thomas crams mini-disquisitions on baseball's history, gear, play, rules, strategies, physics, statistics, jargon, stars, stadiums, and more into arrays of variously sized and colored boxes, supported by a mix of unevenly informative photos and cartoons. Though language and visuals are carefully nonsexist, the resulting barrage of superficial information not only occasionally swerves into misinformation--fastballs do not "shoot toward home plate in a straight line"--but leaves a few bases uncovered too, such as the ins and outs of pinch-hitting, the screwball pitch, the Hall of Fame, and the role of the Closer. Thomas supplies no sources for further information, and doesn't carry her tale beyond the 2002 season. Young fans won't encounter much here that they don't already know; non-fans will simply be bewildered. (Nonfiction. 9-11) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
