Baseball Is . . . by Louise Borden

Baseball Is . . . by Louise Borden, illustrated by Raul Colon. Simon and Shuster, 2014. 40 pages.

Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8

Maturity Level: 2 (ages 4-8) and up

One-line Summary: a picture book tribute to baseball for all ages, from an author and illustrator who love the game.

This lavish picture book is best described as an ode to a game that’s still justly called our national pastime. The passion for baseball has a small-town, homegrown feel about it, even for big-city fans who grew up with the Yankees or White Sox. The author’s love of baseball (which the illustrator seems to share) isn’t just personal; it’s almost mythic as she weaves memory with historical fact and legend. Pages where the narrative falls a little flat still manage to soar due to the luminous pastel-pencil illustrations. The text wraps not only around the game but also its surrounding rituals, like players lined up along the baseline during the national anthem and the ever-present “Peanuts!” “Popcorn!” ringing from the stands. A double-page foldout celebrates the legends: Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente. Everybody has played this game, and since its inception baseball has brought Americans together—that, more than anything, is what “baseball is.”

Cautions: none

Overall value: 4.5 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic value: 5

Categories: Picture Books, Read Alouds, Sports