Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Iandgt;"Is -- Reginald -- at -- it -- again?" Papa shouts between notes.andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;Iandgt;"Hush up," Mama says, "I just love this one."andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;Iandgt;Papa sometimes comes home in a bad mood because he's the manager of the Dukes -- the worst team in the Negro National League.andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Reginald loves his violin. His constant practice pays off in floods of beautiful music. But Papa could care less about Reginald's "fiddling." He's more concerned about the Dukes's losing streak, and he needs his son for something other than playing music. When Papa makes Reginald the Dukes's bat boy, Reginald worries that his practice time will suffer, and that he won't be ready for his recital. He takes on every free moment he can find to play, and ends up filling the dugout with Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. Soon the Dukes begin to shake their bad luck. But there's still that big game against the Monarchs, and there's still Papa's heart that needs winning over. andlt;BRandgt; In this beautifully told story of family ties and team spirit, Gavin Curtis captures a very special period in history. Award-winning artist E.B. Lewis brings the warmth of this powerful story to life with his lush watercolor paintings.
Synopsis
"Is -- Reginald -- at -- it -- again?" Papa shouts between notes.
"Hush up," Mama says, "I just love this one."
Papa sometimes comes home in a bad mood because he's the manager of the Dukes -- the worst team in the Negro National League.
Reginald loves his violin. His constant practice pays off in floods of beautiful music. But Papa could care less about Reginald's "fiddling." He's more concerned about the Dukes's losing streak, and he needs his son for something other than playing music. When Papa makes Reginald the Dukes's bat boy, Reginald worries that his practice time will suffer, and that he won't be ready for his recital. He takes on every free moment he can find to play, and ends up filling the dugout with Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. Soon the Dukes begin to shake their bad luck. But there's still that big game against the Monarchs, and there's still Papa's heart that needs winning over.
In this beautifully told story of family ties and team spirit, Gavin Curtis captures a very special period in history. Award-winning artist E.B. Lewis brings the warmth of this powerful story to life with his lush watercolor paintings.
Synopsis
A young aspiring violinist learns the value of family ties and team spirit in this picture book lushly illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner E.B. Lewis about a down-on-their-luck baseball team and the music that turns their season around. Reginald loves to create beautiful music on his violin. But Papa, manager of the Dukes, the worst team in the Negro National League, needs a bat boy, not a "fiddler," and traveling with the Dukes doesn't leave Reginald much time for practicing.
Soon the Dukes' dugout is filled with Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach--and the bleachers are filled with the sound of the Dukes' bats. Has Reginald's violin changed the Dukes' luck--and can his music pull off a miracle victory against the powerful Monarchs?
About the Author
Gavin Curtis received a B.F.A. degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has worked as an artist at Marvel Comics, where he wrote and illustrated several anthology titles. Mr. Curtis is the author of Grandma's Baseball, a children's book that he also illustrated. The Bat Boy and His Violin is his first book for Simon and Schuster, and marks his first children's book collaboration solely as author. Mr. Curtis teaches pre-kindergarten in New York City, where he lives.