This Day in History - April 8

April 8, 1974: Aaron sets new home run record

Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record back in 1974 (although it's been surpassed, of course).

What records have you broken? Encouraging children (of all ages) to reach for the stars, these are the Kane/Miller books that should inspire the artist, athlete and dreamer in all of us!

From England

Hit the Ball Duck
by Jez Alborough

From England

Dan's Angel:
A Detective's Guide to the Language of Paintings
Written by Alexander Sturgis
Illustrated by Lauren Child

From Switzerland

Marta and the Bicycle
Written by Germano Zullo
Illustrated by Albertine

From Australia

Bobbie Dazzler
Written by Margaret Wild
Illustrated by Janine Dawson

From Germany

What Eddie Can Do
by Wilfried Gebhard

This Day in History - April 6

Can I just say how great I would do playing Trivia Pursuit since I started receiving the This Day in History newsletter from The History Channel?

April 6, 1896: First Modern Olympic Games
"In Athens, 280 participants from 13 nations competed in 43 events, covering track-and-field, swimming, gymnastics, cycling, wrestling, weightlifting, fencing, shooting, and tennis."

Kane/Miller has published hundreds of titles in its 25 years, representing authors and illustrators from over 20 countries, and although we don't cover all of the sports mentioned above, there is a brief reference to weightlifting in Could a Tyrannosaurs Play Table Tennis.

Could a Wannanosaurus lift weights?
Illustration by Andrew Plant

We also cover soccer (The Team series) and baseball (Hit the Ball Duck), so whether you're an athlete, dinosaur aficionado or alphabet book collector, these titles are a wonderful choice for active readers!

Baseball History

On February 2, 1876, the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, which comes to be more commonly known as the National League (NL), is formed. The American League (AL) was established in 1901 and in 1903, the first World Series was held.

After a recent experience with Trivia Pursuit questions, it occurred to me that I need to brush up on my sports and history knowledge.

Of course, History.com fills in that gap for me quite nicely, which is where the above facts were found.

I'm off to do more research...

From England

Hit the Ball Duck
by Jez Alborough

Double Double Sports Sunday

Talk turned to sports on more than one occasion this evening, amongst more than one circle of peers. First we discussed hockey when I was introduced to a publishing representative from Minneapolis. Quickly the conversation turned to the NFL (it is Sunday) and before I know it, we're discussing sports in different parts of the world and how the rules, equipment and even names vary.

It isn't something I think much about, but once it was pointed out to me, the sports that are represented in some of our picture books serve as yet another reminder of the similarities and differences between cultures and communities around the globe.

From England

Hit the Ball Duck
by Jez Alborough

From Australia

The Team series
Written by David Bedford
Illustrated by Keith Brumpton

From Australia

Could a Tyrannosaurus Play Table Tennis?
by Andrew Plant

And speaking of differences, do you know what you would get if you ordered a coffee double double North of the border? I drink my coffee black but if you're heading to Canada, you may want to study up on the lingo before you head to the nearest coffee shop.