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geekwayne's review
4.0
'Baseball Bats for Christmas' by Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak with illustrations by Vladyana Krykorka is a beautifully illustrated and told picture book about a remote group of people in Repulse Bay in the North West Territories, now known as Nunavut.
The book takes place in 1955 in a remote and barren place that doesn't even have trees, or what the kids call "standing-ups" because they've never seen a tree. The kids like to play baseball when they can find a stick, but with no trees around, it's tough to get a game going. When a local pilot delivers six trees right before Christmas, the kids don't see trees. They see their baseball dreams coming true.
The story is a bit on the wordy side for young readers, but it's a really nice story. The illustrations are soft and beautiful. I really liked this story of a group of kids in a remote place who like to play baseball.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Annick Press Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
The book takes place in 1955 in a remote and barren place that doesn't even have trees, or what the kids call "standing-ups" because they've never seen a tree. The kids like to play baseball when they can find a stick, but with no trees around, it's tough to get a game going. When a local pilot delivers six trees right before Christmas, the kids don't see trees. They see their baseball dreams coming true.
The story is a bit on the wordy side for young readers, but it's a really nice story. The illustrations are soft and beautiful. I really liked this story of a group of kids in a remote place who like to play baseball.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Annick Press Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
sweetcreature89's review
2.0
I absolutely love getting children's books about different types of people, cultures, and traditions for my kids because I want them to learn about all the interesting things and people that can be found all over the world. When i saw this book available on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it to read to my little ones once winter started to come around. I still plan to read it to them but, for the sake of this review, I decided to go ahead and read it myself beforehand. Starting off, I have to say that the illustrations in the this book are absolutely beautiful and remind me of some of the books I used to read as a child. The pictures are so colorful and full of wonder. The book itself is very text heavy, unlike most children's books. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but I could see how it could cause younger kids to lose interest in the story. I honestly wasn't crazy about the story itself. It seemed a bit all over the place and jumped from one thing and one topic to the next. There just seemed to be a lot of different things that didn't cohesively flow together or keep my interest in a positive way.
ms_aprilvincent's review
3.0
3.5
Arvaarluk is growing up in Repulse Bay, which is near the Arctic Circle. It's 1955, and no trees grow there because of the cold.
At Christmas, the pilot who keeps the village stocked with goods, brings Christmas trees with the rest of his supplies. It's the first time Repulse Bay has had any trees.
Once Christmas is over, Arvaarluk's friend Yvo has a genius idea: turn the trees into baseball bats! The kids have already been playing ball, but it's hard to find sticks to use as bats. Now they've got a source that will last a while.
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I liked this book. I assume it's at least partly autobiographical, given the author's name and the fact that his bio says he grew up in Repulse Bay himself. This is the second children's book I've read that gives details about growing up Inuit, and they've piqued my interest enough that I'd like to read more.
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The main story is peppered with random anecdotes and observations about some of the cultural traditions; for example, at Christmas, each person gives his favorite belonging to his best friend, instead of exchanging newly-bought gifts. This particular example would be good for teaching kids how to be generous even when you don't have a lot of money or stuff.
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I LOVE the artwork in this book. The drawings are simple but beautiful, with amazing color and detail. I sat and looked at them a good long while.
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I'd recommend this book to kids who are 8+. I chose it to see if it'd be something my nephew would like (he's 7), but I think he needs a little more experience reading before trying this. It's a little wordy for a read-aloud, at least for a kid with a short attention span, but the pictures and content are pretty engaging.
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This is a reprint of a book published in 1990. I received this as a digital arc from netgalley.
Arvaarluk is growing up in Repulse Bay, which is near the Arctic Circle. It's 1955, and no trees grow there because of the cold.
At Christmas, the pilot who keeps the village stocked with goods, brings Christmas trees with the rest of his supplies. It's the first time Repulse Bay has had any trees.
Once Christmas is over, Arvaarluk's friend Yvo has a genius idea: turn the trees into baseball bats! The kids have already been playing ball, but it's hard to find sticks to use as bats. Now they've got a source that will last a while.
〰
I liked this book. I assume it's at least partly autobiographical, given the author's name and the fact that his bio says he grew up in Repulse Bay himself. This is the second children's book I've read that gives details about growing up Inuit, and they've piqued my interest enough that I'd like to read more.
〰
The main story is peppered with random anecdotes and observations about some of the cultural traditions; for example, at Christmas, each person gives his favorite belonging to his best friend, instead of exchanging newly-bought gifts. This particular example would be good for teaching kids how to be generous even when you don't have a lot of money or stuff.
〰
I LOVE the artwork in this book. The drawings are simple but beautiful, with amazing color and detail. I sat and looked at them a good long while.
〰
I'd recommend this book to kids who are 8+. I chose it to see if it'd be something my nephew would like (he's 7), but I think he needs a little more experience reading before trying this. It's a little wordy for a read-aloud, at least for a kid with a short attention span, but the pictures and content are pretty engaging.
〰
This is a reprint of a book published in 1990. I received this as a digital arc from netgalley.
staceym's review
Based in 1955 in the Arctic, the author's own experience living in the Arctic tell about how to deal with a surprise gift from a plane.
The author and illustrator have worked with Robert Munsch on a different title.
The author and illustrator have worked with Robert Munsch on a different title.
standardbutterflywings's review against another edition
4.0
Our homeschooling preschooler and first grader appreciated the details in this book. It is always neat to get a glimpse of children in other cultures and/or times! At first I was thinking the baseball bats were not a good thing for the environment in the long run....and then I realized what a GREAT gift this was! Beautiful illustrations with a lot going on!
librarianryan's review against another edition
4.0
This book takes place above the arctic circle. A land with no trees. I too have lived in such a place (Adak, Alaska). One year, the plane brings it’s Christmas supplies, which includes six trees. At least one of which is used to make a baseball bat. I lovely story with lovely illustrations to o along with it. It reminded me of a time when I too lived in a land with no trees.
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