Quacky Baseball

by Peter Abrahams, Frank Morrison (Illustrator)

It's opening day at the ballpark, and Thumby Duckling is nervous. He hopes it won't be one, two, three strikes, he's out! Trailing by three in the bottom of the ninth, the Webbies are counting on Thumby to save the day. Can Thumby shake his jitters and show his team that he's a star player? From Peter Abrahams and Frank Morrison comes the story of one duck's quest to make it in the big leagues.

Genres: Picture Books, Sports, Baseball, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 22, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Peter Abrahams is an American author of crime fiction for both adults and children.
His book Lights Out (1994) was nominated for an Edgar Award for best novel. Reality Check won the best young adult Edgar Award in 2011. Down the Rabbit Hole, first in the Echo Falls series, won the best children's/young adult Agatha Award in 2005. The Fan was adapted into a film starring Robert De Niro and directed by Tony Scott (1996).
His literary influences are Vladimir Nabokov, Graham Greene, and Ross Macdonald. Stephen King has referred to him as "my favorite American suspense novelist".
Born in Boston, Abrahams lives in Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. He is married and has four children including Rosie Gray. He graduated from Williams College in 1968.

Peter Abrahams is also writing under the pseudonym Spencer Quinn (Chet and Bernie Mysteries).

Reviews

[Rebecca May · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea of this book but it’s all over the place. And so confusing.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thumby Duckling is nervous about his first game on the Webbies baseball team. The text can be read in an "announcer" voice, which the kids at storytime enjoyed. At several points in the story, "the crowd goes wild" and the kids and their moms provided the cheering crowd noices. The illustrations are bright and colorful and the humorous nature of the pictures and text had both moms and kids laughing out loud.

[Jugglerilluminati Ur Mom!]

Down the Rabbit Hole author, and ducks are cool

[BrookeLynne Wilcox · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the concept. Someone needs to have a solid understanding of baseball to get it. The book did not tell a full story. The combination of too few words and the narrow view point of the illustrations left my kids confused. Not one illustration showed a full baseball field. Saying the number of people on base was less helpful then showing them would have been. Not a good introduction to the sport. For kids who don't know the game it does little to spark curiosity.

[Krysta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gives a play-by-play of a baseball game. Would mostly appeal to readers who already know a good deal about baseball.

[Kelsey Doll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was made to be read aloud in an old-fashioned sports commentator voice.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peter Abrahams's dedication for this book credits his sons with introducing him to the game of baseball, and dare I say they did a more than adequate job of it. With often punny text, making jokes one couldn't imagine not being part of a picture book about ducks playing baseball (the "ducks on the pond" call when the bases are loaded, for example), Quacky Baseball relates the play-by-play of a tense rivalry game between the Webbies and Quackers. The duck-based humor impressively extends to a little Major League Baseball history, as well, with a Webbies player named Medwick Ducky, presumably a tribute to old-time St. Louis Cardinals Hall-of-Fame outfielder Joe "Ducky" Medwick. But seriously, how could a book like Quacky Baseball not include that gag? ;-) There are other inside jokes using the players' names, I believe, though I don't recognize most of them.

Being under pressure to win the big game single-wingedly is enough to give any duck chills, but little Thumby Duckling's teammates are counting on him not to fly south when they need him most. In the bottom of the ninth inning in a close game, down three runs with the bases full of ducks, only Quacky can write a happy ending to this story for the Webbies. It's his turn at bat, his moment to prove he can fly above the fray when it's clutch time. With two strikes against him, he closes his eyes and swings out of his shoes, hoping for the best, but is it enough to smack a grand slam walk-off homer? Has one timid little duckling written his name in neighborhood lore forever?

"Four things ducks know about baseball:

1) Some games you win
2) Some you lose
3) And some you can't remember
4) But baseball is always lots of fun."

—Quacky Baseball

Peter Abrahams has written a funny, creative story in Quacky Baseball, one I think could appeal even to young readers who aren't sports fans. I do think this book's primary audience will be pre-reader boys who enjoy baseball, though, and Quacky Baseball has plenty of that. What good is it to play baseball if you don't do it for the love of the game? Baseball can teach us much if we approach it with the right attitude, one of humility toward the game and determination to have a good time with it, win or lose. Without that proper attitude, you aren't going to have fun playing it, and that would be a shame, since baseball is a terrific game. That's the real message of Quacky Baseball, and it is imperative for everyone to learn, in baseball or whatever activity one chooses to pursue. In addition to the solid narrative, I should compliment the artwork of Frank Morrison in this book. It provides good visual representation of the story and its characterizations, particularly of Thumby. I had a great time with Quacky Baseball, and I recommend it to fans of America's pastime or Peter Abrahams. An Echo Falls mystery it definitely is not, but I believe fans of the author's young-adult novels will be amused by it.

[Jenilyn Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just okay. I actually thought it was a little odd. I did like the way the whole story had a baseball theme though, and I think the duck is cute. The ending was good because it was a little inspiring, but I don't know; something about it just didn't really grab me. I also thought it would be kind of difficult to read aloud because of the way it was written. I felt like some of the words and phrasing didn't flow well together or something. I didn't hate it, but it just wasn't a personal favorite.

[carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's opening day at the ballpark, and Thumby Duckling is nervous. He hopes it won't be one, two, three strikes, he's out! Trailing by three in the bottom of the ninth, the Webbies are counting on Thumby to save the day. Can Thumby shake his jitters and show his team that he's a star player?" - review from Amazon.com

This is going to be a great book for SRL. I even practiced reading it in my announcer's voice.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This was more sports commentary than story. The pictures were cute, in a feathery kind of way that made everything look fuzzy and adorable (including the baseball).

I suppose that, with the minimal text and the decent amount of action, very little ones who love sports would be into this book.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sure to be enjoyed by baseball fans. The writing is essentially play-by-play action of a game where rookie Thumby Duckling (who likes to suck his thumb) is put in a 'win or lose the game' scenario for his team. There are little baseball tips throughout for readers who like to play the game.

[Kim Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thumby is nervous about playing baseball for the Webbies, but this duck shows we can do our best even when we're scared. Awesome illustrations and lots of tips about baseball will make this a popular one!

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just didn't stand out to me. I found it busy and confusing. It did have its moments of cuteness, but the third time in reading it, I just couldn't bump it up to a three. It just felt all over the place.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story. Morrison's wonderfully expressive illustrations really bring it alive.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captures a game of baseball just perfectly, almost as if it was a reporter calling a game, great for young sports fans.

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute story complete with baseball tips, but the big sell for me was the outstanding illustrations by Frank Morrison.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would only be interesting to a young baseball fan as it is basically a play by play call of this game.

[Amanda Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this story at all. But if you have a baseball addict, it's probably just the thing.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The kid you read this to should be a baseball fan. If they're not, they won't enjoy it as much.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and simple, but good for toddlers and pre-schoolers who might like baseball.

[Sara Lemonade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish there was more ducks and less baseball in this book, says Sara.