Baseball on Mars / Beisbol en marte (English and Spanish Edition) - Hardcover

Rafael; Jr. Rivera; Tim Hoppey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1558855211 ISBN 13: 9781558855212

Publisher: Arte Publico Press, 2009

Synopsis

Roberto's dad speaks in Spanish when he gets upset, and boy, is he unhappy today! His lucky chair, the one he sits in to watch his beloved New York Yankees play, is missing. And he needs it for the afternoon game against the Red Sox!
Roberto is excited, too. He's about to take off to Mars on his home-made rocket ship, and his dad's lucky chair makes a perfect pilot's seat. When his father finds that the missing chair has become part of the rocket ship in the backyard, he grudgingly tells Roberto he can use it, for now. But it needs to be returned before game time.
Roberto's dad is skeptical about the rocket ship. ''You might have a problem getting off the ground'' he says. ''You're forgetting one little thing; you don't have an engine!'' Soon, he finds himself invited along as co-pilot. And during the exciting flight to Mars, Roberto helps his father rediscover his imagination as they experience an amazing blastoff, wayward asteroids, and even weightlessness.
When they finally land, Roberto surprises his father with two baseball gloves and a ball. ''Today s baseball game is on Mars,'' he tells his dad. After spending the day playing catch, father and son realize that they speak the same language on the Red Planet. And his dad doesn't even mind that he missed the Yankees' game!
Children ages 4-8 will want to embark on their own mission to Mars after reading this story that combines vibrant illustrations with a touching story about a father and son's afternoon adventure.

About this title

About the Author:

RAFAEL RIVERA, JR. was born and raised in the Bronx, the setting for this story. He is a New York City firefighter stationed in Spanish Harlem. He has two young daughters with whom he hopes to build rocket ships. He is a lifelong New York Yankees fan, but does not have a lucky chair to sit in.

TIM HOPPEY is a New York City firefighter stationed in Spanish Harlem. He is the author of a bilingual picture book, Tito, the Firefighter / Tito, el bombero (Raven Tree Press, 2005). He lives on Long Island with his wife and three children.

From School Library Journal:

PrsS-Grade 3–A bilingual story of a Bronx-based Latino family and a father's reluctant engagement with his son's extraordinary imagination. The book realistically portrays a boy piecing together a spaceship from a wooden barrel and other household objects. Roberto's father is anything but impressed and is displeased to see his favorite chair–the one about to be commissioned for viewing the Yankees v. Red Sox game–usurped by his son for his haphazard journey. Nevertheless, with his mom's encouragement, his dad agrees to accompany the boy on his engineless trek. Through it all, readers learn how a simple game of catch between father and son can become an event of cosmic proportions. Here, it is the father who &comes of age, learning the value and enjoyment of time spent with his son. Rodriguez's color illustrations add flavor and dimension to this family's newfound love of the game and their growing appreciation of one another. A satisfying read-aloud in either English or Spanish.–Michael Shapiro, WebJunction/OCLC, Dublin, OH END

About this edition

• Publisher: Arte Publico Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1558855211
• ISBN 13: 9781558855212
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Christina Rodriguez