That Sweet Diamond: Baseball Poems

by Paul B. Janeczko, Carole Katchen (Illustrator)

What better sport to inspire poetry than the timeless but carefully metered game of baseball? And what better poet than Paul B. Janeczko -- an ardent baseball fan -- to bring young readers his accessible, insightful observations of every aspect of the game, from the umpires to the vendors in the stands to the turning of a perfect double play. What does one do to pass the time during a rain delay? Is there really a right way to spit if you are a baseball player? Here is a collection of poems perfect for sharing, illustrated with Carole Katchen's atmospheric pastels.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

Paul B. Janeczko is a poet and teacher and has edited more than twenty award-winning poetry anthologies for young people, including STONE BENCH IN AN EMPTY PARK, LOOKING FOR YOUR NAME, SEEING THE BLUE BETWEEN, and A POKE IN THE I, which was an American Library Association Notable Book.

Reviews

[Alyson Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

That Sweet Diamond is a collection of poems all about baseball. It talks about every aspect of baseball, from the batter to the third base coach to the venders. It is an interesting way for children to learn about baseball and it makes boys interested in reading because it is a topic they care about. I would have my students read this to get a sense of how to use imagery and feelings in their writing.

[Sara Canny · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has grown up around baseball, this was a great read. The poems in this book take you through different viewpoints during a professional baseball game. Each poem is laid out differently and forces you to read it slower and have more emphasis on different words. The abstract pictures accompanying the poems are great for young readers because it allows them to think about what the poem could be about before they actually read it. I recommend this for anyone that enjoys watching or playing baseball, and for those young readers that need a gateway into reading

[Bryan Wilson]

As a baseball enthusiast, I was a little disappointed in this book. Of the poems contained, only a couple seemed to have any feeling; the rest seemed like practice entries to learning the format. I did like "Signs," which adeptly gave a voice for third-base coaches everywhere, and "Catcher Sings the Blues." In addition, I thought the paintings used for the illustrations lacked depth and emotion. Despite its shortcomings, I do think the book could be used in a classroom as a model for the class' own book of poems about baseball or any other subject.

[(NS) Heatherk · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have love baseball and/or sports, this collection of poems is for you. The collection focus on the players, stadium, refreshments, fans, and entire baseball experience. A great choice for the boys to gain appreciation for sports and poetry in one!