The Bambino and Me

March 24, 2014
In Hyman's inventive baseball fairy tale, it's 1927 and a diehard Yankees fan named George is finally attending his first baseball gameâand a New YorkâBoston game, no less. There's only one catch: Ma insists he wears a Red Sox uniform given to him by a misguided relative. Feeling like âthe biggest traitor in the world," George ends up having a heart-to-heart with the Bambino himself, and comes away with an autographed baseball card, the Babe's own jersey, and a life lesson to boot. Pullen, who worked with Hyman on Hockey Hero, skirts sentiment and nostalgia with vibrant, larger-than-life oils; in this fairy tale, the pixie dust is New York exceptionalism. But the real draw may be actor Jason Alexander's exuberantly avuncular and occasionally Seinfeldian performance on an accompanying CD. Punctuated with period music, sound effects, and some fine characterizations, Alexander transports readers to a time when the âimportant stuff" in a kid's pocket was âa bunch of marbles, a couple of jacks, and some bottle caps," and Babe Ruth could be earnestly described as âmore famous than Tarzan. He was every kid's hero!" Ages 6â9.

The sounds of city streets, jazz music, and clattering tableware transport the listener to a modest Bronx kitchen in 1927, where 10-year-old George Alexander receives the birthday present of his dreams--a ticket to see the New York Yankees. Jason Alexander ("Seinfeld"), with his well-known accent, enthusiasm, and love of baseball, is the perfect narrator, playing up George's jubilation and then his outrage as he learns he must wear a Boston Red Sox jersey to the game. The sounds of catcalls from neighborhood boys add to his misery as he trudges to the ballpark. At the game, however, George and listeners are uplifted by the sounds of baseball--the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and, finally, the cavernous voice of George's idol, Babe Ruth. L.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine