Mom Makes the Team, by Mary Don Beachy, is a children’s book about a young boy who participates in a variety of different sports. Although the boy is the one actually playing the sports, his mother is just as involved. With lots of advice for her little sports star and an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm, the boy’s mom may as well be part of the team! Will the little boy be able to succeed in his activities and live up to his mother’s high standards?

The story found in this book is engaging and sweet. In Mom Makes the Team, the unnamed protagonist is a young boy with an overzealous mother. The protagonist tries his hand at all sorts of different sports, but he never seems to live up to his mother’s high expectations, no matter how much extra “coaching” she gives him. Despite this, the book exudes strong messages about the importance of family and accepting people for who they are.

Although the story is enjoyable, the best aspect of this children’s book is the artwork. Sold as a hardcover book, Mom Makes the Team is filled with vibrant, full-page illustrations that highlight important parts of the story. The characters depicted are animated and have emotive facial expressions and mannerisms that are easy to interpret. These illustrations are sure to resonate with the intended audience. Further, the illustrations include a lot of details that will help hold the attention of young readers.

Despite the many positive aspects of this children’s book, there are a few areas that could be improved. The message about accepting family members for who they are comes a little late in the book; for a while, it is hard to understand why Mom is so overbearing and inconsiderate of her son’s feelings. Further, the narrative is a bit long-winded, making it difficult to determine the target audience for this book. Very young readers will probably have a difficult time following the lengthy narrative on each page, and the story might be too immature for older readers.

With the exception of some minor flaws, the presentation of this children’s book is top-notch: the full-page illustrations are cohesive and professional, the messages in the story are heartwarming, and the editing is perfect. The positive aspects lead me to rate Mom Makes the Team 4 out of 4 stars. This is a great book for young kids who are participating in group activities to read with their caregivers; the book might even help children and caregivers better understand one another. Because the narrative is long-winded, I recommend this book for readers between the ages of six and ten; children in this age range will likely have the most in common with the protagonist as well as the appropriate attention span to enjoy this story.