Alonso, Nathalie. Take Me Out to the Ball Game! Naida Mazzenga, Illus. Barefoot Singalongs. Barefoot, 03/2025. [32]pp. Picture Book. Trade $16.99. 979-8-88859-370-7. GRADES Preschool–3. ADDITIONAL.
This rhyming salute to baseball includes information on how some groups, such as Black and female players, were prevented from participating for too long. The song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is woven into the text three times, allowing a great opportunity for listeners to sing along as the book is read aloud at a storytime or during a classroom presentation. The folk-art style digitally created illustrations feature bright, deeply saturated colors, showing some ballparks, players, and audiences enjoying the game. The helpful back matter includes a short timeline, information on baseball’s history and basics of how to play, and brief entries on the players featured in the story. Unfortunately, nowhere in the book are the original composers of the song mentioned, although there is a link to a recording of the song.
Penny Peck—San José State University, iSchool