Building a team by Aaron Derr

[Charmaine Mahlangu]

We all have first impressions that we can't just shake off. Every single time we see that particular individual you can't help but remember how awkward they were or how we just did not like them at first. In this children's book we meet Luis ,a shy and quiet boy who meets his new baseball team. He automatically knew he will not be a fan of Jimmie.

Jimmie a strong but slow boy who enjoyed Luis's story telling, was a team member of the Manatees. Manatees is their baseball team name and also named after aquatic animals. This makes their team quiet unique. Over time the team mates get to know each other and love each other for their strengths and weaknesses.

Luis's love for story telling is highlighted here. He loves narrating to their team mates. Even Gary , Elijah and Roberto knew that his story telling was one of a kind. This is a skill Luis shares greatly with his mates.

I loved how the simplicity of the book was used to highlight the bigger picture here. A team being created. The love for one particular thing can bring the family to become one thing. A 4 out of 5 as I would have loved to see more pictures in the book. Kids love them and want to see more of them .