James Littlejohn

Little (and big) basketball fans come face to face with not only a lovely way to learn the ABCs, but lots of basketball tidbits along the way.

This is not the usual type of ABC book, but rather, caters to hoop and court fans. With each letter of the alphabet, comes a different basketball star and a dash of interesting facts even some adults might not know. But this isn't a run through stars and information alone. Humor and clever word play give each page and letter an unexpected twist. While some (like B for Larry Bird) are direct and bring the humor along subtly, others are very imaginative and guarantee a few giggles.

The illustrations not only depict the players rather well but let the humorous side fly. Nick names and aspects of the players take on entirely different spins in the pictures, many of which are sure to open up to discussions with young listeners and help older readers share their own enthusiasm for the sport.

Summed up, this is an original take on ABCs and basketball (NBA), which is sure to gain a place in hoop fans' hearts.

I received a complimentary copy and found it to be such an original book for sport fans that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.… (mehr)