Take me out to the Ballgame - a Smithsonian American Favorites Book (with sing-along audiobook CD and music sheet) (Americas Favorites)
PreSchool-Grade 2—This picture book, with a CD embedded in its cover, presents a simplified introduction to the classic baseball sing-along. As a boy and his father enjoy a game, illustrations bear out each verse of the chorus. Two pages of notes follow, along with the complete lyrics to Jack Norworth's 1908 and 1927 versions of the song. The notes briefly explain its history, including the fact that Norworth attended his first major-league game in 1940. There are also a few words about Harry Caray, legendary announcer, who was known for singing along to the tune during broadcasts. Pamintuan's cartoonlike digital graphics are exaggerated and practically pop off the page. The CD adds little: readers can listen along to the simple text and hear the chorus repeated over and over. While the snippets of information may hold some appeal to baseball fans, the overall effect is underwhelming. Steer young readers to Jim Burke'sTake Me Out to the Ball Game(Little, Brown, 2006) for a delightful introduction to the song's history and a lively glimpse of baseball's early days.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.