(2) K-3 Illustrated by Terry Widener. In 1941, with "war spreading like a fever through Europe," the heroics of Joe DiMaggio offered a summertime respite as he began a hitting streak that would beat all previous records and has yet to be surpassed. Widener is a master at capturing the larger-than-life spirit of baseball through his perfectly attuned acrylic illustrations, and the text matches the art in its exuberance. Bib.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by James E. Ransome. "Joltin' Joe" made headlines wherever he played, especially during his amazing fifty-six-game hitting streak. With a near tall-tale tone, Winter paints baseball as the bright spot in the Depression and DiMaggio as one of the biggest stars of the day. Ransome's warm watercolors capture the emotions of DiMaggio but also life's small moments. An author's note fills in blanks. Bib.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. In 1936, was twenty-one-year-old Joe DiMaggio ready for the Major Leagues? Should Satchel Paige, pitching great in the Negro Leagues, be playing in the Majors? A game was set up, and both players proved themselves worthy. Skead uses a little-known baseball episode to portray larger issues of race and justice in America; grainy brown-toned illustrations nicely evoke the dreamy reminiscences of baseball legend. Bib.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(2) K-3 Illustrated by S. D. Schindler. Two baseball records, both set in the 1941 season, have never been broken: Joe DiMaggio hit safely in fifty-six consecutive games and Ted Williams hit for a .406 average. Bildner, in an easy, matter-of-fact prose style, tells the men's stories in alternating sections. Schindler's ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations are perfect for this light, affectionate glimpse of baseball history.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011