Kick, Pass, and Run

by Leonard Kessler

Rabbit was the first one to hear it.
Duck was the first one to see it.
Cat was the first one to feel it.
But what is it? It turns out to be a football, and it leads the animal friends to discover the exciting game of football. Young sports fans have cheered Kick, Pass, and Run for generations, and now this fun tale is back in a 60th anniversary edition!

Genres: Fiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Sports

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Leonard Kessler was an American children’s book author and illustrator and centenarian.
Kessler was born in Akron, Ohio and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Army during World War II and was stationed in Europe. Kessler received his bachelor's degree in fine arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 1949. Kessler moved with his wife and family to New York City, New York and then they moved to New City, New York. Kessler wrote and illustrated books for young readers.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau]

Great book to read with children before the Super Bowl! A great book for a small child who likes football. The art is very retro - but I really like the fact that it takes me back to all the stories I read when I was little. A great way to connect with a small child who likes football!

[Madeline Clements]

This was a good book. The illustrations were interesting. Only a few colors were used. It was an easy book to read and understand. Teaches children about the sport of football. I wouldn't read it to a class but I would have it for silent reading in case it is what interests a child.

[Sarah]

This is another of my childhood books that my mother gave me. Several forest animals watch kids playing football and try to copy them.

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge]

When a jets play gets a touchdown. A.

[Ms. Landrum's Class]

I LIKE IT BECAUSE THE RED TEAM WON. ALSO THERE WERE ANIMALS THAT WERE TALKING
NL

[Angie]

Synopsis: "Rabbit was the first one to hear it.
Duck was the first one to see it.
Cat was the first one to feel it.
But what is it? It turns out to be a football, and it leads the animal friends to discover the exciting game of football.

Young sports fans have cheered Kick, Pass, and Run for thirty years. Now Leonard Kessler has reillustrated his classic I Can Read Book in full color, bringing this popular tale to a new generation of beginning readers."

My Review: This is a great level 2 for beginning readers and football fans. The words and sentences are simple and the images help to prompt the reading. It also has a fun little introduction at the beginning with a diagram and common football terms. It is a little long and maybe should be read it short spurts to keep attention on the story but it can be read in one sitting. The animals are silly and the football game is fun to follow, even Munchkin got involved and was telling the animals that they weren't playing right and that what they were playing with wasn't a football.

[Donna]

Great beginner reader on the subject of football. A group of animals find a football and think it is an egg. A boy comes along and says, "There's our football!" The animals learn the game by watching the boys play. A cute introduction to a popular game.

[Cws]

JEAR1-Kes

[Rose Rosetree]

It's a football tale, excellent for early readers. Animals make an appearance, but the football player is a human boy. And he's wearing his helmet, yes!

Clever writing wins me over, as well as sprightly illustrations from the author. Right from the first page, the narrative starts brilliantly:

Rabbit was
the first one
to HEAR it.

Golly, that's the single best sample of writing I have found in any early reader book yet!

ANIMALS LIVEN UP THIS SPORTS STORY

The animals in this story play just like human children. It's adorb.

Cleverly, the plot alternates between those animals and the human boys who are playing football. What sophistication, and the plot takes life due to the wonderful writing and illustrations.

FIVE STARS for sure.

[Olivia Pollari]

This story is a cool story to teach the basics of football. To make it more child friendly it has animals trying to figure out the game and contemplating on what they should use for a ball. They start with an Apple but someone gets hungry. Then they get a paper bag but it goes POP! In the end they get a touchdown when a real football comes flying into the bush. I give this story 3 starts because it breaks down the game of football in the most simple way and makes it cute also!

[Brittany]

A group of animals finds a football. When it is retrieved by a boy, they watch his team and learn how to play football. They try to make their own game, but only succeed when the real football flies back in their direction.

[Shawn]

I am fairly certain that this is one of the first, if not the first, big boy books I ever read. I remember going through it with my mother's help, working on sounding out the words on the upstairs stairs of my childhood home:)

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Combining talking animals with a real football game was not a good idea.

[Maxwell]

we read this one together, taking turns on each page. A great little sports reader.

[Karen]

A fun book about animals playing football. Goes very fast & the animals are cute.