Module 9: That Sweet Diamond: Baseball Poems

Citation:

Janeczko, P. B. (1998). That sweet diamond: Baseball poems. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Summary:

This book is filled with poems specifically about baseball. It touches on many interesting aspects of the players themselves and the experience of going to a game, such as: before the game, the batter, the umpire, and even the vendors or the nuns sitting behind the first-base dugout. There are 19 poems in total of varying lengths.

My Impressions:

I'm really excited to have been introduced to this book, as it can be very difficult to find poems that may appeal more to male readers. Even though I'm not a fan of baseball, I enjoyed reading the book overall. It was very cleverly written. My favorite poems in the book were "Catcher Sings the Blues" and "How to Spit." 

Review: 

As satisfying as a home run on a three-two pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning, Janeczko's (Wherever Home Begins) homage to the game played on "that sweet diamond" will be a sure hit for baseball fans of all ages. Unlike Robert Burleigh's recent ode to basketball, Hoops, in which the text is a single poem, this paean to the sport includes 19 poems describing the sport's essence--not only what it feels like to play the game, but also the peanut-crunching delights of the stadium and its enthusiastic fans. Newcomer Katchen's smudged, indistinct pastels emphasize the body language of players of varying ages, but occasionally focus on the visages of apple-faced fans or the intense stare of a single batter. Initially, these full-page portraits opposing each poem seem reminiscent of children's sidewalk chalk drawings, but closer inspection reveals a deft design that highlights each poem's action or character. Janeczko's imagery is startling, whether describing how the center fielder like a "ball hawk... eyes lost in the shadows/ of the bill of his cap,/ alert to small movements--/ takes flight," or how "the nuns from Holy Name,/ [who settle] in a row/ behind the first-base dugout/ straight as piano keys" fall "victim to The Wave." From its account of "the barnyard,/ with the infielders/ scratching/ in the dust/ with their toes," to the vendors calling out "Iiiiiiice cream!/ Getcher peanuts!" this winning book captures all the spirit and fun that accompanies America's favorite sport. Ages 8-12. (Apr.) 

Review Citation:

That Sweet Diamond. (1998, March 16). Publishers Weekly, 245(11), 64.