Take Me Out to The Yakyu

When I read the title of  this book on the library shelf, I just had to bring it home to learn what Yakyu meant.  The front cover of Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon gave me a few visual clues it might be about baseball and the title made me start singing the tune for "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."  As I read this book, my predictions were confirmed.  It is about baseball.  A little boy shares his journey to two ball games.  One game he goes to is in America and the other is in Japan.  Each two page spread compares the same event or idea in an American baseball game to a game in Japan.  The story compares,what they wear to the game, how they travel to the game, what they can buy at the game, how fast the pitches are thrown, and how at both games the little boy wants know if they are home yet.  My favorite part of the book was to learn while we might chant, "Win! Win! Win!" during the game and in Japan they chant, "Do Your Best!"  That sounds just right.  The book ends with a chart of baseball words and other fun words in English and Japanese.  There is also an author note filled with lots of baseball history for the game here in America and again comparisons to how it started and such in Japan.  A great summer book for any baseball fan you know.  I also think it would work nicely while comparing cultures and countries.