I read this with my 7-year-old who is currently obsessed with baseball. Here are our thoughts:

7-year-old: I really enjoyed this book. I would give it a 4 or a 5 because it's about baseball and I love baseball. My favorite parts where when they were playing baseball on the baseball field. I think Lenny must have been frustrated in some parts like when he missed the ball or it went over the fence.

me: This is such a cute and sweet book! And it has a great message. No matter whether you're a baseball great or just starting out, sometimes you'll miss the catch or strike out, and sometimes you'll catch the ball or hit a home run. No one is perfect and to get better, you just have to keep practicing. These messages were also cleverly told through a story in a way that felt organic -- not like when a book really hits you over the head with the message. The story was easy to get caught up in and the main character very relatable.

The illustrations were also clear and made it easy to follow the story. The images and moments chosen to illustrate the story were perfect and definitely added to the overall delivery.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing an e-arc for review.

I received an electronic ARC from Kids Can Press through NetGalley.
A patient and tuned in dad supports his son as Lenny learns about and plays baseball. Larsen show the struggles and joys of learning a sport through Lenny's actions. He reads about the sport and knows many facts. When it comes to playing, he struggles. Then through practice and his dad's belief in him which shifts to belief in himself, Lenny realizes he can play and he is improving.
The illustrations bring further attention to the information shared in the text. Readers will appreciate the details and feel like they are part of the action. Great book for families to encourage and empower children in sports, the arts, etc.

The one thing that endeared to The Thing Lenny Loves Most About Baseball is baseball. The Thing Lenny Loves Most About Baseball is a story about Lenny and how he loves the game of baseball and everything about it. I loved this book and think it would be perfect to read in any environment. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book! (This review is also on Goodreads.)

If you are a baseball lover, this book is for you. It celebrates the essence of baseball, which is to be a great player, you don't have to be great all the time. Every one misses or strikes out. It also celebrates the fact that to be great, you have a to practice and be determined. What a delight.

This book reminds me of the Kenny Rogers song "I am the Greatest". The illustrations were fun and the story was great. I love that Lenny's dad doesn't let Lenny give up and that Lenny takes his dad's advice and practices. I also enjoyed learning about all of the things Lenny loves about baseball.

I love this book! We see a lot of picture books with the theme of building self respect and self love, and just generally powering through. But I've never seen one where the characters were a father and son. Throw in baseball love and this book is a winner. I can't wait until my husband reads this one.

I have heard it said that there are many life lessons in the game of baseball. This book of a boy that loves baseball shares the most important life lesson of never giving up. The love of the game and how that love drives you to do better. Even as adults, we can loose that lesson. If you want that lesson for your child, Lenny is a great role model. He is not perfect but he is determined. We all need that and baseball is a great way to start. Whether you play the game or watch the game, you will appreciate the lessons learned.

A special thank you to Kids Can Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I loved this book and read it with my son. He responded well to the pace of the book and caught the important lesson of practicing until it clicks and the fear of getting hit or letting others down goes away. I will purchase this one for our lesson shelf at home.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I read this to my seven-year-old son last night and he loved it. The message couldn't have been more perfect for him. In the book, Lenny loves baseball, but is devastated when he makes an error. His father helps Lenny see that EVERYONE has some failure in baseball, but the key is to keep trying. That is a message I'm trying to get to my son and this helped.

Netgalley provided me with a free e-galley in return for this review.

Yes! Right on! I love this message! I love that the girl hits the home run. I love that the dad is so involved. I love that they include Hank Aaron. There is so much goodness in this book!

I loved this book and can't wait to read it to my niece and nephew. The Thing Lenny Loves Most About Baseball by Andrew Larsen is a beautiful book about practicing and tenacity. I love the message of if you're not good at something, practice and work for it. It seems like such a great lesson for kids to carry into adulthood. Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A cute picture book about falling in love with the game of baseball and learning life advice from dad.

This book was so cute! Disclaimer, I'm a huge baseball lover so this book immediately caught my attention. Lenny, a young boy, plays baseball and figures out he's not very good at it. His Dad encourages him to keep practicing and maybe one day Lenny will be as great as the Greats - Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Lenny hopes to make it into the Big Book of Baseball Facts himself one day. I love this book because it encourages both boys and girls to play baseball, to practice at something they want to be good at, and to have fun while doing it. The dad in this book is so supportive of Lenny, a good role model for other parents trying to encourage their children in sports or any activity that a child decides to try. This book has a great message and the illustrations are wonderful.

A very well clued-up dad gives Lenny the encouragement and the impetus he needs to practise at baseball, a game we're told allows anyone the chance to be really good some of the time. So we're taught both to keep at things, and not to expect perfection, in this bright and easy read. Obviously it's only going to be a success within North America, but it is going to be a success, much like Lenny, we're told.