  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2013 A Japanese-American boy with family in two countries describes the customs that surround baseball in America and Japan. In America, he’s a fan of the fictional Pigeons and dons his blue team shirt, grabs his pop pop’s hand, and rides off to the stadium in a station wagon; in Japan, he’s decked out in Cicada red and rides with Ji Ji to the game “in a short red bus that turns into a train.” A giant blue foam hand and a giant red plastic horn help him cheer his teams, while hot dogs and peanuts or noodles and edamame fill his belly. The American pitcher throws a 95 mph fastball, while his Japanese counterpart clocks in at 153 kilometers per hour. The seventh-inning stretch features “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” or a team anthem and balloon release. Both outings end with snacks and a hot bath provided back home by his grandmother (“What a wonderful day!”). There’s no pronunciation guide or additional information, but much of the Japanese vocabulary becomes clear in context, and a glossary of baseball and “other fun” words is also included. The chunky font, candy-colored cartoon pictures, and Japanese pop-art style will have plenty of appeal for newly independent readers, and an author’s note adds more comparative detail about game rules and stadiums. Baseball-obsessed primary-schoolers will relish this offbeat addition to the meager beginning-reader sports collection. EB - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Booklist - 02/15/2013 *Starred Review* Holding baseball jerseys from both the U.S. and Japan, this picture book’s young biracial narrator opens this two-country excursion by stating, I love baseball . . . in America . . . and in Japan. Readers will see why as the boy attends games in each country, accompanied by a doting grandfather. In the snappy text and parallel panels and pages, the boy delights in pointing out the differences in everything from the ballpark food (peanuts vs. soba noodles) to cheers and customs, though the pictures show some similarities as well. The day concludes with a bubble bath in the U.S., a steam ofuro in Japan, and then bed, surrounded by souvenirs of the day. The art has a fresh, attractive, naif quality that fits the story perfectly. Using mostly blue for the American team and red for the Japanese, the bright artwork does an excellent job of delineating each place while capturing the enthusiasm they share. Final pages include a chart of baseball words and other terms in English and Japanese and an author’s note with additional information. Easy to follow and fascinating even for nonfans, this bicultural baseball outing provides a fresh, joyful take on the grand old game. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. School Library Journal - 02/01/2013 K-Gr 2—A young boy compares and contrasts the game of baseball as it is played and enjoyed by fans in the United States and in Japan. He has the good fortune of experiencing the action in both countries. "My American pop pop takes me to watch baseball at the stadium./My Japanese ji ji takes me to watch yakyu at the dome." Everything from transportation to and from the ballpark to snacks, souvenirs, and the appropriate cheers is included, as well as differences in the actual play. A glossary of both baseball and "Other Fun Words" is appended, as is an informative author's note outlining other differences. The bright and cheerful acrylic illustrations feature shades of blue for the U. S. and reds for Japan, making it easy to distinguish between the two. The pages are nicely designed with clean lines and no clutter. A lively and enjoyable read for baseball fans, and a great choice for those compare-and-contrast lessons.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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