Mitchell Goes Bowling
PreS-Gr 2–Since Mitchell enjoys knocking things down, his father sees a natural outlet for all of his energy: bowling. So begins this second book about the raucous boy and his cool dad introduced in Mitchell Goes Driving (Candlewick, 2011). At the alley, the four-year-old sees long lanes and brightly colored balls. He picks up the heaviest one he can find and quickly learns the term “gutter ball.” Next up, his dad does a kick with his leg as he releases his ball and scores a solid strike. While watching his dad celebrate with the “steamin' hot potato dance,” Mitchell yearns to make his mark. Fucile's exuberant illustrations pop on every page and the ratio of word to illustration is very balanced. The story is played for laughs, but, in the process, readers will enjoy the father/son relationship and subtlely learning about being a sport. Mitchell's frustration and anger issues are addressed and his dad's patience pays off. Readers will enjoy meeting this pair as they bond at the alley.–Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TNα(c) Copyright 2013.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.