The Baseball Counting Book

Product Description Step up to the plate with this counting book about America's favorite pastime. THE BASEBALL COUNTING BOOK is spring training for little sluggers. The count is zero to zero when the ump calls, "Play ball!" Nine innings later we've counted balls, strikes, players, fans, and more, all the way to twenty. No one strikes out with these fun rhymes. Little leaguers will find themselves counting their way through practice and pointing out all the new things they've learned about this great game when they watch the pro's on TV or at the parks. Early readers will hit a home run with this charming counting book. From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 3-Numbers from 0 to 20 are featured in this rhyming picture book. Some of them fit naturally into baseball terminology, such as 3 strikes, 2 teams, and 9 positions. Others, like 12 pieces of gear and 19 ice-cream cones, are more arbitrary, but still tie in to the theme. Kids without basic familiarity with the sport won't fully understand why "5" is a "full count" or why there are 6 infielders. The double-page spread for "20" helps, though, by showing baseball cards, several of which offer glossary-type information about the sport. A game seems to progress along with the counting, starting with a 0 to 0 score and ending with a game-winning grand slam. Unfortunately, many of the rhyming couplets suffer from awkward rhythms: "Eleven bats to choose from-/find one that feels right./Keep your eye on the ball,/and hit with all your might." Acrylic illustrations depict the action from a variety of perspectives, including a double-page, wide-angle view of the field (showing the 9 positions) and a close-up look at 10 fingers gripping the bat. Team members include both boys and girls from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Figures and faces are a bit stiff in some cases, but the determination of the young players and some of the fun of the game do come through. Though not particularly exciting, this is a pleasant enough introduction to a popular sport. Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, OR Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review An agreeable rhyming counting book with a baseball theme. The story opens on a little league field where the Blue Sox and the Stars face off. "Come play baseball/ You could be a hero./ The game's starting score/ is zero to zero." The teams of boys and girls run up the numbers to 20, and baseball rules and lore are imparted painlessly. "When there's a full count, we say, 'Three and two.'/ Five fingers up!/ His turn's almost through." A grand slam ends the game, with 19 ice cream cones and 20 baseball cards that give a clear and accurate summary of the main rules of the game. Shaw's stocky acrylic-on-board figures have less zest than his beautifully rendered bats and balls, lush green field and blue sky, and a friendly, ice-cream-loving dog. Younger children whose radar may have picked up McGwire and Sosa, Piazza and Brosius will be ready for spring training after this one. — Kirkus Reviews This picture book uses baseball to count from 0 to 20 in rhyming verse. The rules and culture of the game are introduced as two Little League teams compete. The Blue Sox versus the Stars--who will win? Included in the text are the obvious choices of one ball, two teams, three strikes and less obvious choices such as "seventeen pairs of eyes watch the boy at home plate." However, at certain points this pattern strains: "Thirteen good-luck charms/ make some players feel/ That they will be safe/ when they try to steal." Shaw's acrylic paintings capture the excitement of a good game played by teams made up of both boys and girls. — Booklist The author has chosen a very appealing and relevant subject-baseball-to help teach children to count from 1 to 20. Her presentation in the form of rhyme is particularly appealing to children, both for its rhythm and its predictability. Each page is full of counting opportunities through its text as well