Book Review: Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Laughs around baseball terms kids will still recognize

Cons: Only if you don't know the terms

The Bottom Line: 

Fun look at baseball

Teaches words with two meanings

Along with some great laughs

Amelia Bedelia Hits a Home Run of Laughs

Since I love word play, I've always appreciated the Amelia Bedelia series of picture books.  The main character is a maid who takes everything told her literally.  For Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia, baseball jargon is thrown into the mix (excuse the pun).  And it's an added bonus to the book.

The Grizzles need an extra player for their baseball game that afternoon.  Fortunately or unfortunately, Amelia Bedelia agrees to help out.  She knows nothing about the game, so she must learn to step into the ball to hit it (ouch!), how to tag someone, and how to run home.  But will she help them win their game?

Most books in this series (or at least the early ones) are just a string of Amelia Bedelia doing things the wrong way and people getting frustrated with her.  This book is different because it has the added story of the baseball game.  Granted, the outcome of the game is fairly obvious if you have read a sports book or seen a sports movie, but it is still a nice addition.

The heart of the book is still Amelia Bedelia taking what she is told literally.  There are the usual double meanings, but adding to the fun are baseball terms, like tagging someone out or stealing a base.  While a kid would need to be familiar with baseball terms to get the story, this may be the most accessible book in the series since those terms haven't changed over the years.  I'll freely admit that some of the jokes in the books show their age.  This book came out in 1972 and doesn't have those age issues.

This book was illustrated by Wallace Tripp.  He has a slightly more realistic take on things, and it works for this book.  The illustrations are still fun and add to the charm and humor of the book.

I don't remember this series being considered an early reader book when I was a kid, but it is now.  It's listed as grades 1-3, which is probably about right since there are words like Grizzles and Tornados (the two teams) in it.  It's just the right step up to challenge kids without frustrating them.

All around the bases, Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia is still a hit.