Jason Rat-A-Rat — Colby Rodowsky

A book for young readers about realizing one's passion

Jason Miller's family is always on the go, and always for the same reason: ball games. Jason spends a lot of time on the sidelines, because he's not much for playing sports. He sometimes watches the games, and sometimes stretches out on the bleachers to watch the clouds roll by. But whatever he does, Jason is always happiest when he accompanies it with the tap-tap-tap of a stick on a trash can, or the shake-shake-shake of a can of bottle caps. It's Jason's granddad who, during a weeklong visit, first notices Jason's bent for all things rat-a-tat. One day Granddad comes home with a large package that's the perfect thing for a boy who may be no ballplayer but is, instead, a talented musician in the making.

Colby Rodowsky has created a winning character in Jason, and Beth Peck's pictures are a gentle accompaniment.