Brendan and Belinda and the Slam Dunk!

by Anne Rockwell

When it comes to basketball, the Porker twins, Brendan and Belinda, are at the top of their game. They shoot hoops every chance they get, they practice regularly, and at night they study televised pro games with their dad. He hopes that one day they'll be as good as the superstars they see on TV! No one is happier than Mr. Porker when the twins are recruited to join the elite Jump Shot Juniors League. Except now Brendan and Belinda don't have time for anything but basketball. They are exhausted. But how can they disappoint Dad, their biggest fan? This action-packed book by Anne Rockwell and Paul Meisel stars two wise young athletes who know that playing for the top-notch team isn't nearly as important as enjoying the game—on and off the court.

Genres: Picture Books, Sports

40 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I though this did a nice job at working on multiple levels for both the adult and the child.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good lesson for parents on not over scheduling your kids.

[Gwen the Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Porker loved basketball, so when he became a father, it was only natural that he should teach his twins, Brendan and Belinda, how to play. The twins were very talented basketball players and enjoyed playing in the All-Hoops Parents and Kids League every Saturday. Because he enjoyed the game so much, and because the kids were such talented players, Mr. Porker began to encourage Brendan and Belinda to spend more and more time doing basketball related things. They watched games on TV, they learned complicated plays, they joined more basketball leagues. Soon basketball had taken over their lives! Brendan and Belinda wanted to watch other shows and try other sports, but their dad kept pushing them to play. Finally, when a snowstorm came, Brendan and Belinda put their hooves down and demanded to play in the snow. They explained to their dad that playing basketball all the time made him happy, but they wanted to play with their friends and try new things. Mr. Porker agreed to make some changes in their lifestyle and life became much happier for the entire Porker family. The illustrations are cartoonish, but detailed. They really move with the sport and convey the emotions of the characters. While the illustrations are fun, and the story moves along at a good clip, this is really a cautionary tale for parents in our over-scheduled world rather than a fun children’s story.

[Jennie]

Brandon and Belinda’s dad tries to get them to play basketball all of the time because he wants them to be “just like Mike”; but the “porker kids” want to have fun doing other things. They persuade their dad that they can be “good” at other things as well. Grades 1-3.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library last week.

This book was a bit too long to be charming, but it did have a good message -- mostly for the adults reading it.

[Lauri Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pig family gets into basketball but learns to push young kids too hard.