ALA Booklist (Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2000)

Reviewed with Gibbons' My Football Book.Ages 5-7. Gibbons introduces the basics of basketball and football in two small-format paperback books. Each book identifies the equipment, the court or field, the positions of the players, and a few rules of the game. In the brightly colored artwork, young players, both boys and girls, illustrate this introductory information, then begin a game that adds a touch of narrative and allows for explanation without the tedium of listing one rule after another. Bas ketball begins Basketball is fun, whether you are playing yourself or rooting for your favorite team. A similar sentence leads off in Football , and that low-key message is at the heart of both presentations. The books don't cover all the rules; indeed, for kids who are intently interested, they will raise as many questions as they answer. Instead, they offer a starting point for young children trying to figure out what's going on in the sport or how to get in the game.

Horn Book (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2003)

As the gods play the mortals in a game of basketball, two sportscasters discuss the event--and thereby narrate the book. The text and cartoony illustrations, complete with dialogue bubbles, are humorous (Hera turns the ref into a cow; Odysseus scores a basket using the "old Trojan-horse play"), but it's a one-joke premise that presumes that readers already have some knowledge of Greek mythology. Bib.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-What shines through in both of these books is Gibbons's dedication to presenting the games as fun. Each volume outlines all of the necessary equipment and rules and describes a fictitious game to demonstrate the facts. The illustrations, especially those of the players, clearly reflect the action. Both entries have a glossary with key terms, including important concepts such as teamwork and sportsmanship. Excellent choices for beginner players and readers.-Meghan R. Malone, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.