Lucy Tries Baseball

PreS-Gr 2–Rhyming couplets follow Lucy’s day at the park with her family and dog. Her dad is teaching her to play catch when Coach Al invites Lucy to join his young baseball team. He offers to teach her “the basics, and a love of the game!” Lucy is given a uniform, bat, helmet, and glove. The players warm up; they practice hitting and fielding; and begin a practice game. At first, Lucy is afraid of being hit by the pitch, but she takes a deep breath, and gets a hit. She decides she’s going to love baseball. Lucy and her family are white, and her teammates are a diverse mix of boys and girls. A few terms are briefly explained following the story, including “Challenger Baseball” (an adaptive program for individuals with cognitive and/or physical disabilities). Appealing cartoon illustrations and simple text offer a fast-moving overview of the game. This book also has read-aloud potential for preschool groups. Part of the “Lucy Tries Sports” series, it’s available in Spanish (Lucy Juega al Beisbol) and French (Lucy Joue au Baseball).