Gymnastics (Bullfrog Books: I Love Sports)

Allan Morey

ISBN 10: 1620311798 ISBN 13: 9781620311790

Publisher: Jump!, 2015

Synopsis

Gymnastics is fun! Through large, full-color photographs and carefully leveled text, Gymnastics introduces beginning readers to the basics of the sport and encourages them to try gymnastics themselves. A labeled diagram helps readers identify gymnastics equipment, and a picture glossary reinforces new vocabulary. Gymnastics also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, and an index. Gymnastics is part of Jump!'s I Love Sports series.

About this title

Review

These titles offer emergent readers brief overviews of different sports and encourage them to participate ("Do you want to try? Dive in. Swimming is fun!"). Colorful photos depict boys and girls enjoying themselves at the pool, ice rink, and ball parks; Football opens with a girl suited up in shoulder pads, ready to play. The books make use of simple sentences, supplemented by photographs and diagrams, while picture glossaries and indexes are used effectively. For example, the colorful diagram in Basketball delineates the three-point line, free-throw line, and other key parts of the court. Each helpful picture glossary defines six words or phrases, such as cleats, dribble, and goalie. VERDICT These concise introductions effectively convey the appeal of each sport. --School Library Journal (04/2015)

This entry in the I Love Sports series introduces early readers to this individual sport. Simple text ("Get on the map. Jump. Roll. And flip. Let's do gymnastics!") combines with crisp full-color photographs to depict multiethnic children involved in this activity. Several events are described, including tumbling, balance beam, rings, vault, and floor exercise. Subject specific words are clarified with captioned photos (vault, balance beam, mats, rings), while a separate picture glossary defines other terms (cartwheel, compete, floor exercise, judge, medal, meet). The book succeeds at introducing this sport to beginning-reader audience, but the appended website, which links to other gymnastics information, is problematic: several sites are commercial, and non present information at a level accessible to this book's intended audience. Purchase where demand is high. -Kay Weisman --Booklist (03/10/2015)

From School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Bold colors and exciting scenes will attract beginning readers to these introductions to Olympic sports, including trampoline, the newest gymnastic event. Track and Field covers running, jumping, and throwing, as well as all-around events, such as the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon. There is a good deal of oversimplification, but short sentences and interesting factoids will hold readers' attention. Men's and women's events are discussed; the cover of Combat Sports captures a fierce contest between women wrestlers. Swimming and Diving notes that many regard swimmer Michael Phelps and Chinese diver Guo Jingjing as tops in their sports. VERDICT With the approach of the 2016 Olympics, these strong books will be welcome additions.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jump!
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1620311798
• ISBN 13: 9781620311790
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 24