The Bambino and Me

Description

A picture book that perfectly conjures 1920s New York for fans of baseball and Babe Ruth. It's 1927, and ten-year-old George Henry Alexander is full of the joys of summer- long days, warm nights and baseball, especially the greatest player in the game- Babe Ruth--the Bambino. When George's parents surprise him with tickets to a game between his beloved Yankees and their rivals, the Boston Red Sox, he couldn't be more excited. A real baseball game, and his first chance to see his hero in the flesh! But when the big day arrives, things don't quite go according to plan. On what is supposed to be the best afternoon of his young life, George finds himself doing the one thing no true Yankees fan should ever do. He's so low, he'd rather kiss a girl! How can he face his hero when he feels like the biggest traitor in the world? In this magical story that perfectly conjures 1920s New York and the nostalgia of childhood summers, an unexpected encounter shows George the value of never giving up.

ZACHARY HYMAN is one of North America's top young hockey prospects and was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In 2011, Hockey Canada named Zachary Hyman the Canadian Junior A Player of the Year and his sweater hung in the Hockey Hall of Fame. His love of baseball and his passion for history inspired Zachary to pen both Hockey Hero and The Bambino and Me. Hyman studies and plays hockey at the University of Michigan, where he received the Freshman Academic Achievement Award in 2012.Residence- Ann Arbor, MI Hometown- Toronto, ON Author Site- http-//www.zacharypullen.com/ Zachary Pullen's character-oriented illustrations have been seen in numerous publications including the New York Times Book Review, Sports Illustrated, Esquire, and the Wall Street Journal to name a few. He is the illustrator of a number of books for children, including Francis and Eddie- The True Story of America's Underdogs, Lipman Pike- America's First Home Run King and Friday My Radio Flyer Flew. He has been honored several times through the prestigious Society of Illustrators juried shows and Communication Arts Illustration Annual of the best in current illustration. Pullen lives with his wife and son in Wyoming. To see more of his work, please visit www.zacharypullen.com.

"The tale is entirely fictional, but it manages to capture the essence of that extraordinary time and the larger-than-life persona that was Babe Ruth. Hyman invests George's voice with boyish enthusiasm and conversational language filled with contemporary syntax. Pullen's oddly proportioned, compelling illustrations, rendered in oil paint and walnut oil, are in perfect tandem with the nostalgic spirit of the text and wonderfully depict every aspect of the characters' emotions ...." - Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews "Pullen's oversize oil paintings .... [are] an inspired complement to the wry humor. Mixing just the right amount of nostalgia, pitch-perfect storytelling, and baseball fantasy, Pullen and Hyman have crafted a winning tale for readers, young and old-even Red Sox fans will find it irresistible." - School Library Journal