Sports Illustrated Kids All NEW Access: Your Behind-the-Scenes Pass to the Coolest Things in Sports

By: The Editors of Sports Illustrated Kids
Publisher: Sports Illustrated
Publication Date: September 2014
ISBN: 978-1618930491
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: September 11, 2014

Do you like Legos? If you’re a Carolina Panthers fan and think Cam Newton is the best thing since sliced bread you’re in for a real treat. Mix Legos and Newton and you’ll find that 24,360 Lego bricks later you’ll discover a very interesting model. Master builder Erik Varszegi built a way cool bust of Cam that actually looks like him. Maybe you’ve built that DeLorean Time Machine or even a Super Hero out of Legos, but building a bust of a real live hero is quite another thing. You’ll learn all of Varszegi’s little secrets and will learn just how he accomplished that amazing feat with Lego bricks. There’s a Lift-And-Look page for you to flip back and forth as you marvel over that amazing bust.

Everyone has their own special hideaway, but just where does CC Sabathia hang out? Well, this New York Yankees pitcher has his own idea of what a man cave, or should I say Fan Cave, should look like. He’s got a couch in one room. No big deal you may say, but do you have “a wall of 15 46-inch HD televisions” near yours? He doesn’t want to miss out on any games so fifteen it is. Sabathia has all kinds of other cool things in his Fan cave. He’s got a Home Run Slide, a Nonopus, and even a photo booth. If you don’t have a clue as to what a Nonopus is, you’ll just have to read this book to find out!

Maybe you’re a hockey fan. Unless you have hockey cards, you just might not know what Martin Brodeur looks like when he’s not suited up. Well, wait a minute, many of them show him in full gear “protecting the net for the New Jersey Devils.” He’s got on his mask, catcher glove, leg pads, he’s holding his stick, and there’s that blocker on his right hand. Flip that Lift-And-Look page and there is Brodeur standing on the ice with nothing on! Well, he does have on a Devils Hockey shirt and his leggings. You’ll find out a few interesting things about those leggings as well.

This is a fascinating look behind the scenes of some very interesting sports-oriented facts. Many of these interesting facts have those Lift-And-Look pages that make it infinitely more interesting to read and browse. Even I was interested in flipping these pages back and forth learning about such oddities as the biggest shoe size in the NBA. Youngsters can even put their foot on a full-scale shoe to see how they measure up. The book is divided into sections: Athletes, Places, and Gear. The layout pops with action and full-size, full color photographs. Sidebars and photograph captions add a lot to the text (and the fun). Admittedly, those sections with the Lift-And-Look pieces were the most fun, but no doubt, this book is definitely kid-friendly and has that wow factor that will lure in even the most reluctant readers!

Quill says: If you have a youngster who is a sports fan, this is one cool book to add to your list!