Roasted Peanuts

April 17, 2006
Egan's (Serious Farm
) animal characters' small-town reticence and sly sidelong glances suggest a Keillor-esque wit at work. This homespun story introduces best friends Sam and Jackson, a baseball-loving horse and cat. Sam is "an amazing athlete"—an equine Natural—whose easy stance radiates composure. "Jackson was another story.... He was the slowest cat anyone had ever seen." Both try out for the local team, the Grazers, but Jackson (despite a powerful throwing arm) can't make the cut. A split-panel page shows the cat moping on his stoop while Sam, down at the field, gets ready to bat. Both are so unhappy that Sam strikes out repeatedly, and Jackson overhears the complaints. ("That horse is a disgrace," a bull gripes to a hippo, mocking fandom as well as the semi-peaceable kingdom Egan envisions.") Afterward, Jackson secretly takes a job as a roasted-peanut vendor, making use of that throwing arm. In a well-scripted moment of real-man camaraderie, Jackson reveals his presence by heckling Sam from the stands ("You see that stick you're holding?... You want to use that to hit the little ball they throw at you"). The delighted Sam duly hits a home run, and their buddy act becomes a main attraction. Egan invents a starry-eyed baseball legend of an earlier era, in which gentlemanly hues of sepia, loamy brown, mossy green and burgundy set the scene. The four-legged fans wear suit-jackets and hats, antique billboards line the stadium and—as in Egan's other books—sensitive stoics win the day. Ages 4-8.

May 1, 2006
K-Gr 3 -Jackson the cat and Sam the horse share a love of baseball, both watching and playing the game. Sam is a natural athlete, but Jackson is one of the slowest cats ever seen. Still, Sam encourages his buddy in his one skill -throwing. When tryouts for the local team come around, Sam easily makes it, but Jackson doesn -t. Perhaps even worse, the feline -s self-pity threatens Sam -s happiness, and his performance. In the end, Jackson finds a way to use his talent in the stadium, supports his pal, and becomes a legend in his own right. More than a tale about baseball, this story is about the nature of true friendship, and about the ability to be happy about someone else -s accomplishments. Egan -s typically droll animal characters express emotions well. However, the ink-and-watercolor illustrations have a static quality that doesn -t convey the movement of the game. Still, the understated humor of the text lightens the message and makes the story more appealing -as when the animal crowd yells at Sam, -Go back to the farm! - Baseball fanatics or not, most children will enjoy this charming tale." -Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OH"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2006
Gr. 1-3. The expressions on Egan's tubby George and Martha-like figures add tongue-in-cheek undertones to this tale of friendship surviving adversity. Sam (a horse) and Jackson (a cat) both love baseball, but when the Grazers hold tryouts, only the athletically gifted Sam makes the team. Jackson's ensuing gloom doesn't lift until Sam persuades him to get a job as a peanut vendor at the stadium--where Jackson's ability to throw a bag with uncanny accuracy earns him celebrity status from the fans. Culminating in an exciting game with a suitably goofy twist, this story will elicit chortles from young readers as well as an appreciation for the loyalty the differently talented buddies display.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2006
Best friends Jackson (an ungainly cat) and Sam (a lithe horse) both love baseball. When Sam goes on to play professional ball and Jackson doesn't make the team, each goes into a decline without the other. The story moves along briskly, and the illustrations create a believable world. This is a rewarding story of friendship, fulfilling one's potential, and discovering one's best self.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)