Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

The Great Ball Game (Storey Publishing, 2022)

Rebecca Sheir/ Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley 

The Great Ball Game, a classic folktale originating from the Cherokee, Creek, Ojibway and Menominee people of North America, is adapted for a contemporary audience by Rebecca Sheir, host of the award-winning Circle Round podcast, and accompanied by the vibrant illustrations of Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, an Ojibwe Woodland artist. A dispute between the animals and the birds over who is best leads to a ball game challenge. When the game is disrupted by the arrival of a tiny creature named Bat, who doesn't seem to fit on either team, all the participants learn the value of diversity and celebrating those who seem "different." The accompanying activities and prompts encourage children to develop their own storytelling skills.

The Great Ball Game - Hachette Book Group, Storey Publishing

"This engaging tale shows how truly embracing our unique gifts and differences makes a community stronger. Stick around at the end for a bundle of sweet activity prompts designed to get kids running like deer, thinking like owls, and dancing like frogs." —  Kathleen Yale, author of Howl Like a Wolf

"This charming book about standing out and fitting in contains several empowering messages: “Be yourself.” “Appreciate the unique qualities of everyone.” “We all have something to share.” The text hums along beautifully and the illustrations are simply delightful. The Great Ball Game is a hit out of the ballpark!" — Lesléa Newman, author of Alicia and the Hurricane: A Story of Puerto Rico/Alicia y el huracán: Un cuento de Puerto Rico