Bat's Big Game

June 1, 2008
K-Gr 3-In this retelling of a traditional fable, Bat cannot decide whether he wants to be on the Animals' or the Birds' soccer team. At first he chooses the Animals, but when they start to fall behind, he switches to the Birds. When they start to lose, he tries to switch back. The Animals find his lack of loyalty distasteful and eject him from the game. The text is compact and has an innate rhythm characteristic of a veteran storyteller. Nobati's full-page, digitally created color illustrations are highly stylized. Readers must look carefully at some of the players to try to decide what kind of animal they are. Despite this, the pictures are full of action and re-create the mood of a heated soccer game."Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
Its time for the Animals versus Birds soccer game. Bat only wants to play on the winning team, though, and he decides that the Animals have a better shot at victory. Showing off his teeth and fur, Bat convinces the Animals that he belongs with them, but when the Birds start winning, Bat slips away, removes his "A" jersey, and, spreading his wings, convinces the Birds that he is one of them. Then the Animals regain the lead, and Bat tries to change sides again. Bat learns his lesson, though, when Bear tells him that "a good player sticks with the team, even when they are losing." MacDonalds retelling of an Aesop tale features a lively cast of diverse animals and birds. The text incorporates font and punctuation cues to inspire lively read-alouds, and the colorful, stylized digital illustrations feature animated soccer action and comical characters. Kids will find Bats escapades entertaining, and they may also appreciate the lessons in loyalty and sportsmanship. A brief authors note cites the storys source.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2008
Bat wants to join a soccer game--but only on the winning team. He starts out playing for the Animals, but when the Birds take the lead he switches sides (he has wings, after all). This amusing tale about good sportsmanship is inspired by a folktale (brief source note included). The digitally generated illustrations are confusing because some of the creatures are hard to identify.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)