Interestingly, this is much heavier on the theme and lighter on the absurdity than most of Egan's works. Which could be a bad thing. But the idea that Sammy needed the moral support of Jackson just socked me right in the heart. Bravo, Tim Egan! I hope children like this, too. ( )

I liked Roasted Peanuts for beginning to intermediate independent readers for a few main reasons. The book is about two friends, a horse named Sam and a cat named Jackson, who both love baseball but have very different skill levels. The central message supports how friendship is a give and take of loyalty, support, and wanting the best for each other. One thing I enjoyed about this book's plot was that it had multiple conflicts that were relatable to readers. One conflict occurs when Sam makes the baseball team and Jackson does not. Jackson feels defeated and Sam finds a way to include his friend in the baseball atmosphere. The job Sam finds for Jackson ends up being one that he excels at. I also liked that the plot personifies the animal characters to make them accessible to student readers. This happens through making the horse a baseball player and the cat a peanut vendor. In the end, I thought that the book was a really great pick for responsive readers and conveys the main idea well throughout the story line.

Sam, the horse, and Jackson, the cat, are best friends. They love baseball and their favorite thing to do is to watch a game at Grant’s Field. This year the friends are finally old enough to try out for the local team, the Grazers. Sam is a stellar athlete, clearly the best on the field. But, although he can throw a ball well, Jackson can’t run very fast or hit very accurately. Sam is happy to make the team, but it isn’t the same without Jackson. What will happen when Jackson gets a job as a peanut vendor and becomes famous for throwing peanuts to customers over 60 rows away? Will Sam strike out during the big game against the Barkers? How will the two friends team up to save the day and the game?

This slightly off-beat story of friendship, baseball, and throwing peanuts, is finely crafted by Egan. The friendship between these two unique characters is the heart of the story and it’s wonderful to see how much Sam and Jackson will do for one another. The text is limited to a few sentences per page; however there are some great vocabulary words, such as “defeated,” “legend,” and “disgrace.” The illustrations are done in Egan’s signature style, with ink and watercolor. The characters, all types of animals dressed in human clothes, are quirky and the settings are specific and detailed.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2012/05/book-135-roasted-peanuts-by-tim-egan...

This is a modern fantasy about two friends, a horse and cat, wanting to become famous in baseball.The horse is a good athelet and becomes famous as a player. The cat, not a good athelet, becomes more famous for throwing peanuts as a vender. I love the story! The story is excellent for teaching children to overcome rejection and be the best they can be at whatever it is. Extension might be baseball history. Especially Babe Ruth's record of most home runs and most strike outs." Iam the only person I have to be better than," may also be explained. ( )