2017 Washington State Book Award Finalist
Represented Washington State at 2018 National Book Festival
Ticket to the Pennant: A Tale of Baseball in Seattle
By Mark Holtzen
Illustrated by John Skewes
Before the Seattle Mariners, there were the Seattle Rainiers…This nostalgic, historically accurate picture book follows Huey through the Seattle of 1955 exploring a diverse and charming neighborhood surrounding the baseball stadium. Featuring the vibrant retro illustrations of Larry Gets Lost creator John Skewes, this is a story of baseball, civic pride, and how baseball unites communities.
“Huey is a delightful little baseball lover who remains mostly cheerful and hopeful throughout his ordeal… ..Sweet and wistful nostalgia for a bygone era.”
– Read full Kirkus Review here.
Buy A Ticket to the Pennant at the following retailers:
Want to read more about the inspiration for the book or read more about the Rainiers? Visit the below links.
- Listen to an interview w/ local podcaster about how I created the story.
- Here is a blog post with Photos that served as inspiration for the story.
- A Pinterest page with collected images.
- There are two book trailers: this if you’re feeling nostalgic, this for cute & goofy.
- Dave Eskenazi wrote many columns on SportsNW about local baseball history.
- A post with an essay about the team and Sicks Stadium history in South Seattle.
- A TV interview with Evening Magazine featuring author and illustrator.
- An interview in Seattle’s Child Magazine about “soul” of place.
- A fun author interview on “The Winged Pen” children’s lit blog.
- Consider using the embedded map below to take a real live tour along the Rainier Valley to visit the sites and businesses as they are today.
- Common Core guide by Sasquatch Books for use with A Ticket to the Pennant.
