Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2013 How can an author make the umpteenth picture book about Babe Ruth justify its shelf space? By finding the right angle on the legend and trimming the larger-than-life figure down to a guy a kid might want to shake hands with. Tavares rightly assumes that his audience is already convinced of Ruth’s baseball stature, and he focuses his attention narrowly and successfully on the slugger’s youth at Saint Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, and his ongoing relationship with the school even after he had achieved celebrity in his career. An incorrigible troublemaker, young George was brought to school by his exasperated father in hope of the boy’s reform. George doesn’t exactly embrace the routine or the discipline, but he does learn everything power-hitter Brother Matthias can teach him about baseball. The rest is history—recruitment to the Orioles minor league team, off to the Red Sox, and on to the Yankees and a life of glamour and excess. Those years are largely sidebar to Tavares’ main story, which returns to Ruth’s generous fund-raising after a major fire at St. Mary’s, and his visits to the school and his mentor. Though subtle in color, Tavares’ illustrations are often big and brash in composition, with plenty of close-ups of a beaming Babe holding forth on the field, in parades, or as the avuncular center of adoring boys’ attention. Viewers who look closely, however, will notice that Brother Matthias makes a significant number of appearances too—a reminder that Ruth didn’t achieve his success all by himself. An author’s note comments further on Ruth’s career, and a table of stats and a bibliography are also included. EB - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 01/01/2013 *Starred Review* On the cover portrait of this picture-book biography, George Herman Ruth’s eyes twinkle so realistically, one expects the famous wink. Inside, this exceptionally engaging chronicle recounts Ruth’s amazing rags-to-riches story, from his early family troubles and placement at age seven into Saint Mary’s Industrial School for Boys to his triumphant career with the New York Yankees. The narrative wisely telescopes much of his baseball career, citing a few professional feats, explaining the origin of his nickname, and vividly capturing his larger-than-life celebrity status, including his enormous appetite, undisciplined lifestyle, and boyish charm. But there’s also an emphasis on Ruth’s time at St. Mary’s and the critical influence of the school’s Brother Matthias. The story comes full circle, closing with Ruth’s generosity to the school after a disastrous fire. Well-researched, realistic illustrations, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and pencil, depict early-twentieth-century life and Major League Baseball during Ruth’s era. Equally important, the art captures Ruth’s irrepressible personality and joy in playing baseball. Yes, the eyes definitely twinkle. Back matter includes a chart of statistics, author’s note, and bibliography. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2013 Gr 1–3—Tavares features the "Sultan of Swat" in this picture-book biography. When George Herman Ruth was seven years old, his father sent him away to a reformatory to keep him out of trouble. At the end of the school day, when all the schoolwork was done, he was taught to play baseball by Father Matthias. Ruth began his career at age 16 when he signed a contract to play for the then minor-league Baltimore Orioles. Characteristic of Tavares's attractive painterly style, the watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations stand out with their action-packed scenes, dramatic angles, and the full-spread portrait of Ruth. An author's note explains that there was no television in the 1920s, so fans relied on radio sportscasters for the colorful descriptions and exciting stories of Babe Ruth and his rise from rags to riches. Because this is the author's tribute to a great player, there is no mention of the sadder aspects of Babe's later life. Readers, both baseball fans and others, will enjoy this story of the athlete's gratitude and thankfulness for learning his lifetime sport.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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