The 2024 Summer Olympics opens soon, and Ready Readers recommends a book for young sports enthusiasts before the games begin. “Ready, Set, Go! Sports of All Sorts” by author Celeste Cortright and illustrator Christiane Engel introduces children to eight different sports, many of which are featured in the Summer Olympic Games.
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Cover image supplied
Readers will be drawn in first by the energetic, happy children from around the world depicted practicing their skills on the cover. Illustrator Engle employs subtle tones of bright colors to bring the children to life and celebrates traditional and paralympic young athletes alike.
It’s worth noting that the players are shown in a variety of international locations, by athletes dressed in cultural garb, perfectly aligned for a pre-Olympics read. Author Cortright supplies rhyming four-line stanzas for each sport presented, underscoring the enthusiasm of the players, and providing vocabulary and details not contained in the pictures.
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The first two-page spread depicts track and field as readers observe children warming up and jogging in lanes around the track. Gymnastics are highlighted next with children practicing on the rings, balance beam and tumbling mats with a pommel horse and uneven bars in the background. Sport-specific vocabulary includes “tumble,” “cartwheel,” “power,” “balance” and “landings.”
Baseball is shown next, with children sporting jerseys, caps and gloves as the batter runs to first base. Swimming follows, and observant children may note the goggles, caps, kickboards and other tools they may use at the pool. In this illustration, as in several others, a differently abled child participates alongside the other neighborhood kids. Soccer, karate and basketball round out the traditional summer Olympic sports, with a depiction of ice hockey rounding out the tome.
“Ready, Set, Go! Sports of All Sorts” is the featured book on 14 Ready Readers Storybook Walks across the metro area. Read the story as you explore a park or greenway near you.
Ready Readers brings the joy and power of literacy to preschool-aged children living in low-income neighborhoods in our community. As a volunteer, you can join in bringing the magic of stories to children near you. Learn more at readyreaders.org.