Though their roster is full of animals, the Ferwood Valley Fuzzies are a classic underdog team: despite a lot of talent, they have never beaten the Rocky Ridge Red Claws. One fan ney Blossom Possum so determined to see her team win that she trains and eventually makes the team. She might be the tiniest team member, but her inimitable spirit is just what the Fuzzies need. Along with the slick play-by-play narrative of the game, Gurney slips in plenty of entertaining extras, such as baseball cards and team photos. Meanwhile, the players' names are all baseball and animal puns, and there's a spread detailing each team's sponsored products mmy Sosa (a pig) owns a clothing boutique, while Snaps Tortelli (snapping turtle and Red Claws catcher) has a barbed wire company. The scenes are densely packed with detail, and the players ndered in a slightly cartoonish but naturalistic style e richly expressive at every turn. Baseball-loving kids will get a kick out of the action on the field, while burgeoning graphic-novel readers will appreciate the snappy visual storytelling.

Gurney (the A to Z Mysteries series),

Gr 1-3 Gurney, a lifelong baseball enthusiast and the author and illustrator of the storytime favorite Dinosaur Train , serves up his first graphic novel. The Fernwood Valley Fuzzies are taking on their rivals, the Rocky Ridge Red Claws, in this action-packed tale that delivers all the play-by-play of a live game in a classic underdog story. The Fernwood Valley Fuzzies' biggest fan, Blossom Honey Possum, is new to the team this season, and her fresh eyes and keen insight help the Fuzzies develop a strategy for winning the game. The characterization and format are very well done. Early on, the author offers readers clues about whom to root for and who the "bad guys" are on the Red Claws team, and uses the graphic format to help kids better understand baseball. Panels illustrate where players are as they steal bases and the action speeds up. The overall effect is a very clear picture of the game; kids will enjoy the rising action and cheer the underdogs to victory without getting lost in any complicated details.