Janeczko, Paul B. 1998. THAT SWEET DIAMOND. Ill. Carole Katchen. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-689-80735-X
Review:
In an ode to the sport, That Sweet Diamond is a collection of twenty baseball poems by poet Paul B. Janeczko.
Covering topics from the typical pitcher/batter relationship to the humorous "How to Spit", Janeczko accurately captures the sights and sounds of baseball. Janeczko's sense of humor is clearly shown in several of his poems. One such poem, "Things To Do During a Rain Delay", gives readers tips on passing the time during a rain delay. "Hold your umbrella just so/ to let raindrops drip off the edge/ onto the neck of the man in front of you./ Look away quickly when he turns."
The book is arranged in a double-page spread with each poem facing its accompanying illustration. Carole Katchen's illustrations complement the poems perfectly. With their minimal definitions and impressionistic style, Katchen's soft pastels give reader's a sense of nostalgia.
Highlighted Poem:
Center Fielder
The ball hawk patrols his green range --
eyes lost in the shadows
of the bill of his cap,
alert to small movements --
takes flight,
it seems,
as the ball leaves the pitcher,
before the quick music
of the crack of the bat
darts the ball toward the emptiness behind him.
Betrayed by the wind this night,
the ball falls.
There is no escape.
The ball hawk seizes
it in his talon grip
and circles toward the dugout
as easily as thunder
rolling through a summer sky.
Teachers could use this poem to teach extended metaphors or personification.
Teachers could use Janeczko's book in a unit on baseball.
Baseball can be used to teach many topics, including statistics, marketing, shapes, geography (maps), compare/contrast, and architecture or building structure.
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