A Ticket to the Pennant: A Tale of Baseball in Seattle

PreS-Gr 2--In this picture book tale, a boy scurries around his 1950s Seattle neighborhood looking for his lost ticket to the day's championship game. Friendly neighbors and small business owners try to help until Huey discovers that he put it inside his baseball cap. The familiar lost ticket plot is an excuse for a nostalgic visit to this diverse neighborhood, with its mom-and-pop storefronts, Italian bakeries, and Japanese fishmongers. Like Huey, all are fans of their beloved minor league team, the Seattle Rainiers, predecessors to today's Major League Mariners. The 1955 Rainiers contended for the Pacific Coast League's pennant, led by talented players including Bobby Balcena, a fan favorite and the first player of Filipino descent to play in the major leagues (seven games with Cincinnati in 1956). As the ballpark action reaches its climax, announcer Leo Lassen's colorful play-by-play sets the mood: "Not a fingernail left in the stadium, folks." An author's note adds information on Balcena and the history of the Rainiers. Cartoon illustrations with lots of period detail further add to the book's nostalgic look. VERDICT A slight but still appealing story for baseball fans, especially in the Pacific Northwest; this may also interest teachers looking to enliven social studies and U.S. history units.--Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA