Charlie has always loved soccer and basketball so when I found out about this children’s book called Sporty Baby: A Spin-and-Slide Book — A Fun, Interactive Way to Introduce Little Ones to Sports even though it was for children from 0 to 3 I couldn’t wait to share it with Charlie because its a interactive book.
For my family when it would come time to sit down and the read a book for us the best children’s books weren’t the ones where you simply sit down and read every page. They were the ones where little hands could get involved, or something moves, or spins, which turns reading into playtime.
Interactive books like Sporty Baby: A Spin-and-Slide Book also would hold Charlie’s interest more because while we read the book he has something to keep his hands busy which helps with his ADHD.
For today’s 30-Minute Reading Challenge, we’re heading onto the playing field and exploring eight different sports with a book that lets little readers actually participate in the action.
Pick a Sport. It’s Time to Play! Right from the beginning, this book invites children to get involved. But before we dive into the book let’s talk about the cover which has a pretty blue background.
There are children on the cover playing soccer, football and what looks like a tennis ball. I like how there is both boys and girls on the cover. On the front of the book it tells us its a spin -and- slide book. In the back of the book is more children playing more sports.
The cover spins to reveal eight different sports balls, including a basketball, soccer ball, tennis ball, football, and baseball. Once you open the book, the interactive fun continues with sliders, spinners, and moving pieces that let children make the balls and puck move across the pages.
That makes this more than a book you simply read. It’s a book you play with. The baseball can fly up, up, up into the sky as little hands move it. And that is one of the things I really enjoy about interactive children’s books. Instead of just looking at a picture of a baseball, the child gets to make something happen.
Then it’s time for soccer. Use your foot, aim and shoot, give that soccer ball a boot! The little soccer ball moves across the page, giving children another opportunity to interact with the story.
Next comes golf, and this page made me laugh. The book encourages little ones to putt the golf ball and sink it into the hole. That’s probably the way I need to play golf because even when I’m playing putt-putt, I never get the ball into the hole! LOL!
At least with this book, I might finally get a hole-in-one! Then we’re off to the hockey rink. Little readers can move the hockey puck from side to side as the book introduces them to skating and hockey.
The tennis page encourages children to swing the racket and serve the ball. The volleyball page has them bumping the ball and watching it soar. Then it’s basketball time. Charlie’s favorite sport.
Little ones can dribble and bounce the basketball before jumping and shooting high and tall. And finally, we have football, where children can pass the football long and far while their teammates cheer them on.
I have to admit, if I were actually playing some of these sports, the cheering might be the most important part for me! Because if I were good at sports, we’d all know it would be a miracle. LOL!
When Charlie was little, I can easily imagine him enjoying a book like this. And I think a lot of little boys would have fun with it—but let’s not forget the girls! There are plenty of little girls who love sports, too like my niece Lily.
That’s one thing I like about this book. It introduces children to several different sports without making the book complicated. They can discover a sport they already love or learn about something completely new.
For a child who has never watched hockey, played golf, kicked a soccer ball, or held a tennis racket, this can be a fun first introduction. And because the book is interactive, the child isn’t just sitting there listening while an adult turns the pages. They’re part of the action.
A Little Warning About the Pages: There is one thing I want parents, grandparents, and caregivers to know before handing this book to a little one. The pages are very thick and sturdy.
When you first look at the book, it can almost seem like two pages are stuck together. They’re not. That’s simply how the thick board-book construction looks and feels. So don’t start trying to pull the pages apart because you think you’ve got two pages stuck together. You’ll want to leave them as they are so you don’t damage the book.
The sturdy construction makes sense for a book designed for babies and toddlers who are going to be touching, moving, spinning, sliding, pushing, and pulling the different pieces. The book can also be wiped off which works with messy hands.
Could You Use This for Homeschool? Absolutely! The book is recommended for ages 0–3, but I can see older preschool children enjoying it, especially children who are interested in sports.
I could also see this being used during a homeschool unit about sports. You could read the book together and talk about the different sports and the equipment used for each one. You could count the balls. You could identify the colors. You could talk about which sports are played indoors and outdoors.
And then, after reading, you could take the learning off the page. Kick a soccer ball. Bounce a basketball. Try hitting a tennis ball. Throw a football. Or, if you’re like me, grab a little putter and see if you can actually get that golf ball into the hole!
That’s one of the things I love about interactive children’s books. They can become the starting point for activities away from the book, too. This book makes a fun gift for a little Sports Enthusiast.
I could also see Sporty Baby: A Spin-and-Slide Book making a fun gift for a baby or toddler who already seems fascinated by sports. It’s colorful, sturdy, and interactive, and there are lots of things for little hands to discover.
Instead of simply turning pages from beginning to end, children can spin, slide, move, push, and pull their way through the book. And sometimes that’s exactly what keeps a little one interested in reading.
I really like the idea behind Sporty Baby: A Spin-and-Slide Book because it takes something young children naturally enjoy—moving things—and combines it with reading. The book introduces eight sports: baseball, soccer, golf, hockey, tennis, volleyball, basketball, and football.
It gives little ones an opportunity to see the equipment used in each sport while actually moving pieces around the pages. For babies and toddlers, that’s a great way to make story time more engaging.
And for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and homeschool families, it can provide an easy jumping-off point for talking about sports and encouraging children to explore them outside of the book.
For today’s 30-Minute Reading Challenge, I think this one gets a big thumbs-up for being fun, colorful, sturdy, and interactive. Because sometimes reading doesn’t mean sitting perfectly still while someone reads every word.
Sometimes reading means spin it, slide it, move it, kick it, bounce it, and have a little fun. And if you’re anything like me and don’t always manage to sink that golf ball into the hole, at least this book gives us a chance to finally claim that hole-in-one! LOL!
About the book:
This action-packed board book celebrates favorite sports—from baseball and basketball to golf, hockey, and football. Little ones can spin the cover to see 8 sports balls. Inside, move sliders and spinners and pull and push tabs to make the balls move. Babies can bat the baseball, kick the soccer ball, putt the golf ball, slap the hockey puck, serve the tennis ball, bump the volley ball, shoot the basketball, and pass the football. With bright and colorful illustrations, sturdy moving parts, this book is a slam dunk for busy babies and sporty toddlers!
Book Details
Book: Sporty Baby: A Spin-and-Slide Book
Publisher: Workman Publishing
Illustrator: Grace Habib
Recommended Age: 0–3 years
Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
