Life & Family | Books

So, Sport, what’s your favorite sport?

Are you a nut for a net or goofy for golf? Do you go bats for baseball? Bonkers over biking? Passionate for the pommel horse?

Are you a basket case for basketball, totally sunk over swimming, screwy over soccer or do touchdowns tickle you?

Are you cuckoo over cross-country running?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need a copy of A is for Amazing Moments: A Sports Alphabet by Brad Herzog, illustrated by Melanie Rose.

Ever since you were a really little kid, you’ve loved your favorite team or athlete. You don’t miss a minute of any game they play. You’ve hung posters of her in your room. You have one of his jerseys and the team’s colors are on your notebooks. Someday, you’re going to be a famous athlete, too. But in the meantime, learn more about your favorite sport and others by reading this book.

B is for baseball and basketball, of course, but B is also for Battle of the Sexes. Billie Jean King (a woman) beat Bobby Riggs (a man) in a big tennis match in 1973.

More than sixty years ago, baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson became the first African American major league player. It wasn’t easy being such a first and his bravery is why C is for Courage.

Is there a future Tiger Woods in your house or maybe a young Michael Jordan? Perhaps you know a kid who’s simply silly for sports. If you do, this is a great book to have around.

While so many alphabet books are meant for babies and toddlers, A is for Amazing Moments is a nice surprise because it’s written for older kids. Each letter is assigned to a monumental moment or figure in sports history. Author Brad Herzog includes a short verse and a backstory to accompany illustrator Melanie Rose’s full-color pictures. Best of all, this book includes a huge variety of sports, both amateur and pro.

Although it has a target audience of 6-to-10-year-olds, I think a pint-size sports fan would definitely enjoy paging through this book before the big game. Pick up A is for Amazing Moments—and run with it.