You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!

Apr 05, 2009

Elizabeth rated it

Mmf. Baseball. Symbolic sports of its ilk get all the good press when it comes to children's books. Tiki Barber books aside, if I were to place odds I'd have to say that a full 50% of kids books about sports concentrate on baseball. After all, its fans are inclined to view a regular game as nothing short of epic. Men in a field. Duking it out under a blazing sun. The intermingling of strength and smarts. Yeah. So basically baseball bores me to tears. I'll sit in on a game anytime you like, but t...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jun 18, 2010

Margo Tanenbaum rated it

Shelves: picture-books, biography, baseball

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and am old enough to remember Sandy Koufax, but clearly there are many young people, including baseball fans, who have never heard of him. This picture book biography seeks to bring Koufax front and center for young fans. The book opens as follows:

You gotta be kidding! You never heard of Sandy Koufax?! He was only the greatest lefty who ever pitched in the game of baseball.

The narrator is an unidentified Dodgers teammate who...moreI was born and raised in Los Angeles, and am old enough to remember Sandy Koufax, but clearly there are many young people, including baseball fans, who have never heard of him. This picture book biography seeks to bring Koufax front and center for young fans. The book opens as follows:

You gotta be kidding! You never heard of Sandy Koufax?! He was only the greatest lefty who ever pitched in the game of baseball.

The narrator is an unidentified Dodgers teammate who talks in an informal, folksy, style. We learn about Koufax growing up Jewish in Brooklyn, where "he was supposed to be a doctor or a lawyer." But Sandy was a fantastic athlete, great at basketball as well as baseball. Soon the baseball scouts come "sniffin' around," and the 19-year old Koufax is signed to the Dodgers. But Koufax wasn't a great pitcher right away. Some of the guys didn't like him, both because he kept to himself and because he was Jewish, and his pitching was erratic, setting records for wild pitches. In fact, Koufax even quits the team, but soon enough is back at spring training. But finally Koufax hits his stride, striking out player after player, throwing so hard his hat falls off. But fame and success come with a price; his elbow swells so badly after each game that he has to ice it and constantly take painkillers.

Author Jonah Winter tells, of course, the famous story of how Koufax sat out the 1st game of the 1965 World Series--his turn to pitch--because it fell on the Jewish High Holy Days, when "if you're Jewish, you ain't supposed to work...Sandy sits out the game to show he's proud to be Jewish, and to set a good example...and becomes an even bigger hero to American Jews."

And when he's at the top of his game, he startles the baseball community by retiring. It was that, or lose the use of his arm.

Winter doesn't try to make Koufax into a warm and fuzzy guy--instead, he concentrates on his journey and special talents as a pitcher. The illustrations in the book by Portuguese illustrator Andre Carrilho are extraordinary; done in graphite on paper, with color and texture added on the computer, they capture the speed, power, and grace of Koufax on the mound.

The book includes sidebars filled with statistics as well as factoids such as a list of famous Jewish baseball players.
This book has received a number of well-earned awards, including Sydney Taylor Honor Book for Young Readers, "Top of the List" award from Booklist as the best children's non-fiction book of 2009, Booklist "Editor's Choice," and ALA Notable Book, and honors from Kirkus and Parents Magazine.(less)

like

· see review

Feb 02, 2010

Beth Nieman rated it

Shelves: land-of-enchantment-award

Andre Carrilho's stylish artwork captured my attention as soon as I picked up this picture book biography. It's full of the same graceful movement that characterized Sandy Koufax on the pitcher's mound. The drawings remind me of the spare and beautiful caracitures of Albert Hirschfeld.

The text, by Jonah Winter, evokes a Brooklyn accent, and would make a great read-aloud story. It mentions that Koufax was one of just a few Jewish players and that he experienced some prejudice, but the...more

like

· see review

Aug 31, 2009

Robin Gaphni rated it

This is a big, beautiful book that does an admirable job describing one of the true enigmas of baseball-Sandy Koufax. Kids, especially baseball fans, will love reading the story of how Sandy Koufax became one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball history. You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! is a great gift for a sports lover.

The story is told in a conversational way by an unnamed person (teammate?), presumably connected with the Dodger organization. The style of writing is acces...moreThis is a big, beautiful book that does an admirable job describing one of the true enigmas of baseball-Sandy Koufax. Kids, especially baseball fans, will love reading the story of how Sandy Koufax became one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball history. You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! is a great gift for a sports lover.

The story is told in a conversational way by an unnamed person (teammate?), presumably connected with the Dodger organization. The style of writing is accessible and draws the reader immediately in.

Turns out Sandy earned most of it just warmin' the bench. See, he was new, a rookie...and rookies are known to lose a lot. It was 1955, and the Dodgers had a shot to win the pennant. The kid was too big a risk.

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! begins by describing Koufax as a standout high school athlete who got picked up by the Dodgers at the age of 19. However, those first few years were hardly stellar for him, as he walked lots of batters and threw more wild pitches in 1958 than any other pitcher in baseball. But he persevered through those early years of failure, and eventually became the Sandy Koufax of legend.

Besides being such an outstanding pitcher, one of the things that Koufax is remembered for was sitting out the first game of the 1965 World Series, which fell on Yom Kippur, a Jewish High Holy Day. This gesture made him a hero to American Jews, and the book does a nice job of re-telling the story.

There are interesting baseball facts interspersed throughout the book (the one about Satchel Paige is mind-blowing), which will please the more ardent fans. There's also a glossary of baseball terms at the end.

Finally, the illustrations by Andre Carrillo are a wonder. They are caricature-like drawings, with bits of blue and red splashed across the pages. The baseball gear (gloves, bats and even the infield) are a striking gold and quite eye-catching. But the true highlight is the cover, which is of Koufax pitching. What makes it so unique is that it is actually three different images on a plastic sheet, and when you move the book a bit, he looks as if he is winding up and throwing a pitch.
(less)

like

· see review

Aug 22, 2009

Becky rated it

Recommends it for: Jordan

Shelves: picture-books, storytelling, favoriteillustrations, nonfiction, biography

Wow!! I can't believe how much I liked this book -- a baseball book! Nothing wrong with baseball -- I just didn't expect to be this enthralled. Of course, it's the cover of this picture book bio that grabs passersby -- a lenticular moving image that shows the full range of motion of one of Koufax's famous left-handed pitches. But the inside illustrations, complete with shiny gold (gold!) are also superb. They are graceful, expressive, and very layered and textured while retaining a simplicity of...moreWow!! I can't believe how much I liked this book -- a baseball book! Nothing wrong with baseball -- I just didn't expect to be this enthralled. Of course, it's the cover of this picture book bio that grabs passersby -- a lenticular moving image that shows the full range of motion of one of Koufax's famous left-handed pitches. But the inside illustrations, complete with shiny gold (gold!) are also superb. They are graceful, expressive, and very layered and textured while retaining a simplicity of design that you don't always see with multimedia work. They are never too busy.

I put this on my storytelling shelf, because the whole thing reads like an old guy telling a story on the front stoop, from the title to the present-tense narration ("In 1960, he goes up to the general manager, 'Buzzie' Bavasi, and says, 'Buzzie, trade me -- or let me pitch.'") I'd love to hear this on audio. I also like the author's friendly tone with little notes like "for the record" and "about the cover." I liked the reality that Koufax spent a lot of time doing pretty badly in the major leagues, and even quit once, before he hit his stride -- and even then, he retired before he lost the use of his arm. I didn't know that the L.A. Dodgers used to be the "Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers"! Includes a glossary of baseball terms.

Favorite quotes:

"'Hitting a Koufax fastball,' Willie said, 'was like tryin' to drink coffee with a fork.'"

"Who was Sandy Koufax? Sandy Koufax was a guy who finally relaxed enough to let his body do the one thing it was put on earth to do. And what a thing of beauty that was."

[author's note:] "Baseball statistics have always been and always will be interpreted differently by different fans and scholars. Often, several fans will use the same set of statistics to come up with entirely different top-ten lists. This is a very subjective and sentimental process, not an exact science. And the arguments that inevitably arise are as much a part of the baseball tradition as peanuts and Cracker Jack."

(less)

like

· see review

Jun 09, 2009

JustOneMoreBook.com rated it

Gilded, stylized illustrations, scads of stats and lilting, laid back narration present an inspiring tale of persistence, power, poise and prevalent potential in this intimate look at the short but striking career of one of baseball's greats.

You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.

More sports on JOMB:
Baseball Hour
Across the Alley
Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer
The Bat B ...more

like

· see review

Nov 11, 2010

N_katiebernard rated it

Shelves: info-bios

Starting with the line, "You gotta be kidding! You never heard of Sandy Koufax?" the author outlines the career of Sandy Koufax in a kid-friendly voice. The author was very aware of his intended audience and used improper grammar and structure and instead wrote as if he was in a conversation. It never felt like I was sitting down to leran. Rather, I read a story in which many facts and bits of information were intergrated. In talking about his sudden retirement, the author states, "...more

like 1 like

· see review

Oct 17, 2009

Debbie (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it

Shelves: children

I loved this book and couldn’t wait to share it with the children at my school. As I’d expected, they loved the cover. They also loved the way the illustrator used gold on the pictures.

The story was a little too hard for them. They were confused with the author’s use of first person plural. They did not get the way the author used the vernacular voice to tell the story. They needed more background information about Koufax.

But they loved that it was about a baseball playe...moreI loved this book and couldn’t wait to share it with the children at my school. As I’d expected, they loved the cover. They also loved the way the illustrator used gold on the pictures.

The story was a little too hard for them. They were confused with the author’s use of first person plural. They did not get the way the author used the vernacular voice to tell the story. They needed more background information about Koufax.

But they loved that it was about a baseball player. They liked the voice of the author and thought it was fun. When it came down to voting, the room was clearly divided: Children who loved baseball rated it a 5 and those who did not like baseball rated the book a 1.
It is a book with wonderful facts about a fascinating man. I would suspect that ten and eleven year olds would enjoy the book a bit more than my young students, but I bet that a lot of the cleverness and fun of the book would elude even them.

Maybe we need to create a new category of books: Picture Books for Grownups. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to parents or teachers to read with their kids who love baseball. Not sure many children would really hang in there with the book on his own. Not even a big baseball fan. Not even a big baseball fan living in NY.

A Sample:
‘One day one of our scouts, Al Campanis, invites Sandy to Ebbets Field---home of our team, the Brooklyn Dodgers---so’s he can see the hotshot pitch. After battin’ just one time against him, Campanis has seen enough. He says to Sandy, “Kid, how’d you like to play for us. Don’t think too hard.” Quick as you can say “Jackie Robinson,” this nineteen-year-old squirt was wearin’ Dodgers blue and earnin’ more dough than some of us old-timers.’

Children’s Comments:
You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!
Elyssa, 6, said, "I liked how the words were written."
Chloe, 6, said, "I liked how he did the glove."
Sylvia, 5, said, "I liked the front cover.
Jase, 5, said, "I liked the pictures."

Children’s Ratings: 5, 1, 5, 5, 5, 5, 1, 5, 1
(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 15, 2009

CuriousLibrarian rated it

Recommends it for: Grades 2-6 (and baseball lovers of all ages!)

Shelves: 2009, best-children-s-books-older-readers

This book came to me in a publisher's box, and with the eye-catching holographic cover of a pitcher, how could I not pick it up? One shouldn't judge a book by its cover, of course, but go right ahead in this instance! The colloquial tone of the book sucks you right in, and it holds you there for all the twists and turns of Koufax's story. Some stories were familiar to me (the Yom Kippur/World series story) and some were not (such as the fact that he quit at the end of a season before he was a s...more

like

· see review

Mar 02, 2010

Tatiana rated it

Shelves: biography, elementary, historical, non-fiction, middle-school, baseball

What a beautiful trip down baseball memory lane in a gorgeous picture book, in the cadence of a time and place long ago. "You never heard of of Sandy Koufax?!" He was only the greatest lefty who ever pitched in the game of baseball." I cannot begin to describe the sheer joy of reading this book aloud to myself, but not before my dear husband read it to me first, excitement in his voice and happiness in his face as read about one of the greats of baseball, a gentleman amongst the g...more

like

· see review

Feb 21, 2011

Pam rated it

Shelves: picture-books

This book is about one of the greatest baseball players who ever played--a left handed pitcher for the Dodgers named Sandy Koufax, who also happened to be Jewish. There weren't many Jewish ball players back in the 60s, and he endured both bigotry and verbal abuse. What I really liked about this book was the story of Koufax's perseverance and resolve. He doesn't begin his career as a star pitcher; he has to learn to relax and listen to his body and his instincts, instead of negative messages arou...more

like

· see review

Oct 18, 2010

Emily rated it

Shelves: baseball, biography, nccba

I was thrilled when a baseball biography landed on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list for the year. But I have to admit, I judt didn't really get this one. I mean, I've heard of Sandy Koufax, and I'm thrilled to get his name out to a new generation of fans. Or, for that matter, to build a new generation of baseball fans. But this book just didn't work for me. The unnamed first person narrator concept did not work for me. I didn't care for the art. I found the side bars with ext...more

like

· see review

May 11, 2009

Kathy rated it

Shelves: j-nonfiction

I'm nowhere near as excited by this lenticular cover as some readers are (and probably young readers), but I do like the way Jonah Winter has told the Koufax story, stressing his early years of failure in the big leagues, his physical pain, his Jewish identity, and his sudden retirement. The "box score" statistics are clever, the illustrations striking in their limited palette and distorted perspective, and there is a source given for the statistics if not the biographical information...more

like

· see review

Aug 07, 2011

Charlotte Osborn-bensaada rated it

Shelves: boys, non-fic-picture

I am not a baseball fan but this book just grabbed me from the beginning with its holographic cover and stylish modern graphics. The informal tone of the narrator reminded me of an old sports announcer and the story is compelling a great athlete that has to find himself to full express his talent. I also appreciated the mention of his sitting out a game for the Jewish high holidays. We often under-appreciate this side of athletes and this was an important value point. Definite must read.

like

· see review

Jan 19, 2010

Amy rated it

Shelves: childrensbio

I really liked this biography for children. It explained who Sandy Koufax was and why he was so famous. There are cut-outs if you will in the shape of baseball tickets scattered throughout the book that provide interesting bits of history including info. on Jackie Robinson, "Five Teams that Changed Their Names" and more!

At the end of the book is a glossary of baseball terms, online resources for baseball stats and brief paragraphs about the author and illustrator.

like

· see review

Mar 11, 2010

Amy Carr rated it

Shelves: juvenille-non-fiction

This is the incredible story of a Dodgers baseball player (pitcher) named Sandy Koufax. The story is told through the voice of a fellow Dodgers teammate and I loved how the author really makes you feel like you are listening to a New Yorker tell the story (remember the Dodgers started in Brooklyn, New York...). The story is remarkable but the illustrations are fascinating...very unique style. I really loved this story and my boys were fascinated by it!!!!

like

· see review

Mar 12, 2009

Sam Bloom rated it

Shelves: 2009-books, childrens-biography, picture-books

I love that I read this at the beginning of March, as I gear up for the coming baseball season... perfect timing! Winter paints an even, entertaining, and interesting look at one of the best Jewish athletes of all time. Too bad Koufax had to play for the $#$#@@# Dodgers. Despite this shortcoming, this is a great biography. Andre Carrilho's illustrations are excellent - very comic-bookish, with bright metallic silvers, golds and blues.

like

· see review

May 28, 2009

Kristin Redmond rated it

Shelves: juv, biography, baseball

This picture book biography is about one of the greatest professional baseball pitchers of all time. Koufax is Jewish and a left-hander. This is a simple story of his brief and turbulent pitching career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The book also includes a glossary of baseball terms, which could be very useful for a rookie to the sport. The author writes a great introductory story to a piece of baseball history. (J biography)

like

· see review

May 25, 2011

Matthew rated it

Shelves: biographical-picture-books

I liked that this biography focused on the struggles that Sandy Koufax went through in becoming a great pitcher, not just on his unstoppable greatness once he hit his stride. It humanizes him a little bit. It also makes the moment when he does emerge as a great pitcher seem that much more impressive. I liked all the statistics that were included and the mini factoids that appeared on a few pages. It's a good biography.

like

· see review

Sep 10, 2011

Lucius rated it

Shelves: children-s-books

Wonderful art. Descriptive narrative. Captivating main character. This book has all the ingredients needed to be a favorite of mine. A lifelong baseball fan, I had never known much about Sandy Koufax. I certainly didn't know of is greatness because he's been obscured by some of his more colorful contemporaries. This would be a great book to put in the hands of any young sports fan.

like

· see review

May 27, 2009

Erin rated it

Shelves: children-s-books

Of course the cover of this awesome book is one of the first things you will notice and who doesn't like a good hologram? This is yet another really great illustrated biography. The narrative is light and never heavy handed and while they make reference to anti-semitism it's not over the top or too graphic. Fans of baseball history and those who have never heard of Sandy will enjoy!

like

· see review

Jan 10, 2010

Shannon rated it

Shelves: 2010

I thought I wasn't going to be interested in this book at all. What a surprise! It's visually stunning, the story is interesting, and it's the first book in quite a while that I immediately wanted to read again after I was done. This book is a four because the illustrations are a five and the story is a three. :)

like

· see review

Jun 24, 2009

The Library Lady rated it

Great story, but I could do with the "aw,geez" wise guy sort of language--it sounds forced, and fake.
The holographic cover is a nice gimmick that will draw kids to the book. Too bad it may take a gimmick to get kids to read about someone who was a true star back in the days when baseball really was our national pastime.

like

· see review

Sep 19, 2010

pati m rated it

Shelves: 2011-nccba-nominees, junior-novel, biography

In this striking picture book biography, an old-timer tells us what made Sandy Koufax so amazing. We learn that the beginning of his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers was rocky, that he was shy with his teammates, and experienced discrimination as one of the only Jews in the game. We hear that he actually quit, only to return the next season--different--firing one rocket after another over the plate. We watch him refuse to play in the 1965 World Series because it is a Jewish high holy day. And we...more

like

· see review

May 22, 2009

Kris rated it

Shelves: childrens, picture-books, nonfiction

This is how biographies are supposed to be - take someone you may never have heard of, maybe even on a topic you don't particularly care about, and make the writing and art so interesting, you have to read to the end to find out about this real-life character. Great picture biography!

like

· see review

Apr 11, 2009

Molly rated it

Shelves: goodboyreads, character-trait

Ok so I was really excited that the cover rocked like it did but then the story inside was just as awesome! I actually enjoyed a book about an athlete. Not my natural read. Great Bio for a kid needing a report. The cover will sell itself. Grades 2+

like

· see review

Nov 18, 2009

Marcia First rated it

Genre: Biography

The story of Sandy Koufax, one of the best left-handed pitchers in Major League Baseball is told with the voice of one who knew him and admired his career. The pictures are really wonderful. This is a book anyone would enjoy reading.

like

· see review

Mar 25, 2011

Deborah rated it

what a cool cover! The image pitches as you move the book! The story is told from a familiar voice who talks informally as if the reader were in a conversation. And the illustrations match the tone of the narrator's voice. Fun.

like

· see review

Aug 01, 2010

Chris rated it

Shelves: consideration-2011

What I liked about this book: superb illustrations; inclusion of stats in little side boxes; excellent narration (from the point of view of a fellow player, using baseball jargon), glossary. This book is a nice tribute to Koufax.

like

· see review

Oct 26, 2010

Suzan rated it

Shelves: picture

I admire his attitude of not giving up and then becoming one of the greatest baseball pitchers ever. Even more admirable was his commitment to his faith by not playing baseball on the Jewish Sabbath.

like

· see review

title link	preview: You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!
avg rating	preview: You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! Goodreads rating: 4.11 (110 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5001735-you-never-heard-of-sandy-koufax?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320419353m/5001735.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5001735-you-never-heard-of-sandy-koufax?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter[/url]

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)

Genres

Readers Also Enjoyed

Books by Jonah Winter

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About You Never Heard o...

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combine Other Editions (1)

Genres

Readers Also Enjoyed

Books by Jonah Winter

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About You Never Heard o...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)