Basketball Time!

November 1, 2016

K-Gr 2-Bright, action-packed photos and simple text make this a dynamite choice for beginning readers. More detailed and informative than similar series, these books explain basic rules for each of the sports discussed. While the information is not detailed enough to allow immediate mastery, the specifics discussed offer a nice introduction for kids who are thinking of trying a new sport. Critical thinking questions throughout allow students to think about and apply what they've read. The sports covered are all popular enough to have a built-in audience, and the diversity of kids included in the pictures will make parents and teachers happy.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016
Preschool-G Whether you prefer to play or watch, this book declares it's basketball time! Part of the new beginning-reader series Bumba Books: Sports Time!, this title introduces the basics of the game in simplistic terms, as well as the joy of playing and watching basketball. Starting with a table of contents and finishing with a labeled diagram of a basketball court, picture glossary, further reading, and simple index, this book is intentionally designed for emerging readers. Short, declarative sentences are surrounded with plenty of white space. The attractive color photos provide some visual context clues and show a diverse range of kids playing basketball. The large full-page photos face pages of large text printed in an easy-to-read black font that pops against brightly colored backgrounds. Although the callout circles with discussion questions interrupt the narrative flow, the distinction of the callouts versus the main text is clear. This is a wonderful choice for a preschool unit on sports or for a beginning reader with a passion for the game.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)