School Library Journal
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Gr 1-4-The creators of Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy (S & S, 2002) again turn a nostalgic eye toward baseball's past. Here, an unnamed narrator looks back on the summer of 1951 when his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers appear headed for the World Series. Then, the New York Giants go on a winning streak, forcing a playoff with the Dodgers to determine who will face the Yankees. This reminiscence combines baseball lore with a fond glimpse of a time when a big game could cause shops to close and fans to huddle by their radios. The folksy storytelling, strongly supplemented by the mixed-media artwork, conveys a warmly sentimental picture of that era. The painterly illustrations do a nice job of depicting both the action and the setting. Unfortunately, the plot doesn't fare as well. Slowed by the shifts from ballpark to Brooklyn neighborhoods, the story fails to engage readers as it moves to a predictable climax. Though Bildner slips in authentic phrases and details, the tone is sometimes forced and annoying in phrases such as "-down at Lundy's in Sheepshead Bay, the fussy old ladies, forever complainin' about their flounder and snapper, put a fork in their whinin'." This book will hold its greatest appeal for fans looking to relive the events of an earlier time.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly
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The title of Bildner and Payne's latest collaboration (Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy) refers not to the beginning of the Revolutionary War, but rather to the end of the Dodgers' 1951 run for the pennant. Affectionately calling the team "Dem Bums" and Ebbets Field, where they played, "Brooklyn's cathedral," the boy narrator sets the scene, then explains that all three New York teams were in a race to the World Series that summer. The Yankees had already secured their place, and on October 3, 1951, all of Brooklyn was holding its breath to see whether the Dodgers or the Giants would win the final game of the "best of three" tiebreaker to face the Yankees in the Series: "Up on Pitkin Avenue in Brownsville, the rabbis recited special hymns and prayers, and down at Lundy's in Sheepshead Bay, the fussy old ladies, forever complainin' about their flounder and snapper, put a fork in their whinin'." Payne's mixed-media paintings take on Norman Rockwell-like qualities as he portrays cheering teenagers gathered around radios and a glimmering Ebbets Field; it's as if readers view the scenes through a soft-focus lens or the haze of distant but treasured memories. Just as effective are his portraits of the Dodgers' Jackie Robinson sliding into first, and the Giants' Bobby Thomson, who, with the crack of his bat, signals the end of the Dodgers' season. This author-artist team ably captures a moment in sports and cultural history that will have certain appeal for sports fans across generations. Ages 5-8. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

"The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" The words of announcer Russ Hodges reverberated through New York as Bobby Thompson hit that home run that dashed the hopes of Brooklyn Dodger fans for yet another year. Bildner captures the spirit of Brooklyn in 1951, as well as the details of the ups and downs of its hapless team and that incredible playoff game. The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants were fighting for the privilege of playing the mighty New York Yankees in the World Series, and it brought the entire city to a standstill. The narrator, a nameless, ever optimistic young fan, speaks in a casual, careless manner, intended to reflect the slang and syntax of the era. However, Bildner's technique of leaving off the final "g" of each and every verb in the "ing" form is overkill. Payne's detailed, slightly misty illustrations perfectly enhance the text and provide beautifully realized visions of Brooklyn. Baseball history brought to life. (Picture book. 8-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Gr. 2--4, younger for reading aloud. Baseball in New York in the 1950s was the sport's golden age, but does it have much appeal for today's picture-book set? Perhaps only with the help of a baby boomer turned grandpa. The story of Bobby Thomson's home run in the Polo Grounds on October 2, 1951--the deciding blow in a three-game National League Championship playoff between the victorious New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers--has been retold thousands of times. Like Doris Kearns Goodwin in Wait till Next Year (1997), Bildner reprises the tale from the perspective of the losing team's young fans. The account progresses from the Dodgers' seemingly insurmountable midsummer lead through the Giants' comeback to Thomson's fateful homer, with the text showing how baseball in the pretelevision era was a community passion, shared on front stoops and around radios. Payne's painterly mixed-media illustrations are bathed in attractive autumnal colors, suggesting the October setting as well as the melancholy of the Dodgers' defeat. A chestnut of a story supported by evocative pictures. A winning combination, if only young readers cared as much about Bobby Thomson as they do Bobby Bonds. --Bill Ott Copyright 2005 Booklist

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A (fictional) Brooklyn Dodgers fan looks back to the 1951 baseball season, when the Dodgers lost the pennant to the Giants with one crack of Bobby Thompson's bat. The story aims for immediacy but overshoots the mark with its overly folksy voice (""Yep, in that summer of '51, things sure were diff'rent""). Intentionally grainy full-bleed illustrations reinforce the nostalgic feel. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.