This time of year always gets me nostalgic about going to baseball games with my dad. Every now and then when I was growing up, we’d jump in the car, head to the Metrodome, and settle in with some popcorn or an ice-cream cup and watch the Twins try to win one for Minnesota. What with the energizing music flowing out from the stadium speakers, Homer Hankies flashing red and white in the stands, and that certain sense of community that comes only from enjoying a game with fellow fans, it was always a special experience.

And here’s the thing: I’m not at all a natural sports fan. In fact, if my dad hadn’t taken me to Twins games, I probably never would have discovered that I enjoy baseball at all. That’s the way with a lot of things in life, I find—if we don’t get early exposure to them, we may never come to appreciate them.

That’s why I was so excited to edit Baseball Is Fun! (cover pictured). This book exposes the youngest readers to the ins and outs of baseball. From the game’s rules and special equipment to what a baseball diamond looks like and the skills needed to play, all the bases truly are covered in this early reader. It’s my hope that Baseball Is Fun! just may lead a kid to discover his or her own love of baseball—even if (and perhaps especially if) he or she never makes it to a live game.