by Len Berman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2009
Packaged with a magazine-style cover, this sports book is loaded with hype. Bold display types, bright colors and superlative enticements will lure readers to discover the stories behind such moments as “Muhammad Ali’s Shocking Championship Upset.” The author makes a strong push to diversity by including 24 different sports, baseball leading the way with five moments listed as “The Greatest.” Only a few female athletes make the cut, yet there’s room for 1973’s fluff media event, “The Battle of the Sexes” between tennis star Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Labeling any event as “The Greatest” opens the door for disagreement, and the overall relevancy will be a problem for today’s teens. Will Babe Ruth always be included in “Greatest” conversations even 74 years after his last at-bat? The 1969 Mets may have been a miracle story 40 years ago, but detailing first baseman Marv Thornberry’s feats feels trivial now. Due to a juvenile tone, the target audience seems to be lower middle school, but they may not care about Granddad’s heroes. (Nonfiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4022-2099-9
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2009
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by Len Berman
by Jerry Pallotta ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2000
Who is next in the ocean food chain? Pallotta has a surprising answer in this picture book glimpse of one curious boy. Danny, fascinated by plankton, takes his dory and rows out into the ocean, where he sees shrimp eating those plankton, fish sand eels eating shrimp, mackerel eating fish sand eels, bluefish chasing mackerel, tuna after bluefish, and killer whales after tuna. When an enormous humpbacked whale arrives on the scene, Danny’s dory tips over and he has to swim for a large rock or become—he worries’someone’s lunch. Surreal acrylic illustrations in vivid blues and red extend the story of a small boy, a small boat, and a vast ocean, in which the laws of the food chain are paramount. That the boy has been bathtub-bound during this entire imaginative foray doesn’t diminish the suspense, and the facts Pallotta presents are solidly researched. A charming fish tale about the one—the boy—that got away. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-88106-075-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
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by Jerry Pallotta & Sammie Garnett ; illustrated by Vickie Fraser
BOOK REVIEW
by Jerry Pallotta & Sammie Garnett ; illustrated by Vickie Fraser
BOOK REVIEW
by Jerry Pallotta ; illustrated by Rob Bolster
by Jonathan London ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999
This latest Froggy title (Froggy Goes to School, 1996, etc.) is utterly unfocused, with the star careening from soccer dolt to Mr. Superkick. Froggy’s team has a big game coming up with the Wild Things, and he is trying to remember the mantra his father, and assistant coach, taught him: “Head it! Boot it! Knee it! Shoot it! But don’t use your hands!” But illegally touching the ball seems to be the least of Froggy’s worries; distraction is his problem. He is so busy turning cartwheels, tying his shoes, and more, that the only time he makes contact with the ball is when it bounces off his head by mistake. Then, when the Wild Things make a breakaway, Froggy has some dazzling moves to avert a score, but forgetfully grabs the ball at the last second. The other team gets a penalty kick, converts it, but then Froggy makes a field-long kick for a game-winning score. London forces Froggy into too many guises—the fool, the hero, the klutz, the fancy dancer—but none of them stick. Remkiewicz’s illustrations have charm; it is in their appeal that this book will find its audience. (Picture book. 2-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-670-88257-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
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by Jonathan London ; illustrated by Gilles Eduar
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by Jonathan London ; illustrated by Gilles Eduar
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by Jonathan London ; illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
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