When Willard Met Babe Ruth - A Story - Illustrated by Barry Moser

Oct 13, 2026

A rural New Hampshire July 4 baseball game brings twelve-year-old Willard Babson face to face with the young Babe Ruth. After a roadster crash and a shared rescue, Willard receives a glove and the family’s lives follow the seasons. As the Great Depression arrives and Willard and Ruth grow older, they meet again in 1935. The narrative connects generations through baseball, while the sunlit past is vividly rendered in watercolor illustrations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages56

Reading Time1 h 26 min

AccessFree to download

When Willard Met Babe Ruth

Plot summary

R O N A L DH A L L # W HEN WⅡLLAR D METBA BE RUT H IIISTRATPD RYBarrv Moser 卓b.00(CANADA 22·00) IT IS 1917 in rural New Hampshire,and onJuly 4,as always,there is a baseball gamebetween the single men and the marriedmen.For Willard Babson,twelve years old,the game and the ice cream are the bestpart of the day.One afternoon later thatyear,a red roadster slides into a ditch in acloud of dust in front of Willard and hisfather as they drive the sheep from the pas-ture."You know anybody can pull me outof here?"says the tall young driver.Willardstares at the best left-hander in baseball. Willard and his father pull Babe Ruth'scar out of the ditch.The Babe reaches forsomething in the rumble seat."Kid,"he says,tossing it to Willard,"now you got a glove." The seasons pass;July 4 comes and goes;the Great Depression comes and stays.Willard plays baseball and grows older.Sodoes Babe Ruth. And in 1935,in the amazing way thatlife has of finishing what it starts,BabeRuth and the Babson family meet again. With a poet's eye for detail,DonaldHall reminds us of a time when baseballbound the generations together.BarryMoser's luminous and brilliant watercol-ors perfectly capture the sunlit playingfields of long ago. Boston Public Library # W HENWⅡLLAR DM ETBABE RUT H ewel SMITH | W HEN
WILLAR D M ET
BA BE RUT H | | --- | | | A ST O R Y BY Donald Hall I L LU ST R AT E D BYBarry Moser Browndeer Press Harcourt Brace &Company SAN DIEGO NEW YORK LONDON JP BR HALL Text copyright C₁996 by Donald HallIIlustrations copyright C1996 by Barry Moser All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical,including photocopy,recording,or any information storage andretrieval system,without permission in writing from the publisher Requests for permission to make copies of any partof the work shouldbe mailed to:Permissions Department,Harcourt Brace Company,6277 Sea Harbor Drive,Orlando,Florida 32887-6777. Browndeer Press is a registered trademarkof Harcourt BraceeCompany. The illustrator wishes to express his thanks to the following for their invaluable helpin the preparation of the pictures for this book:Janice,Nathan,and Samantha Davis,Dan Cronin,Madeline Moser,Cara Moser,thephotoarchives at the National BaseballMuseum at Cooperstown,New York,and Steve August. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hall,Donald,1928- When Willard Met Babe Ruth/by Donald Hall;illustrated by Barry Moser.—1st ed. p.cm. "Browndeer Press." Summary:A boy meets the young Babe Ruth and along with his family follows the Babe'slong and illustrious career. ISBN0-15-200273-1 1.Ruth,Babe,1895-1948—Juvenile fiction. [1.Ruth,Babe,1895-1948—Fiction 2.Baseball—Fiction.]I.Moser,Barry,ill. I₁.Title. PZ7H14115Ba11996 [Fic]—dc20 94-30798 B C D E Printed in Singapore The paintings in this book were done in transparent watercolor on handmade Barcham Green paper.The hand-lettering is by Georgia Deaver. The text type was set in Trump Mediaeval by Thompson Type,San Diego,California.Color separations by Bright Arts,Ltd.,SingaporePrinted and bound by Tien Wah Press,Singapore This book was printed with soya-based inks on Leykam recycled paper,which contains morethan 20percent postconsumer waste and has a total recycled content of at least 50 percent.Production supervision by Warren Wallerstein and Pascha Gerlinger.Designed by Barry Moser To Andrew and Philippa —D.H. For Willie Morris —B.M.

FAQs

Who is the main character in When Willard Met Babe Ruth?

The main character is Willard Babson, a twelve-year-old boy living in rural New Hampshire.

What event brings Willard and Babe Ruth together?

A red roadster crash leads Willard and his father to pull the Babe’s car out of a ditch, and Ruth gives Willard a glove.

How does the story progress over time?

The story moves through July 4 seasons, includes the Great Depression, tracks both boys as they grow older, and culminates in a reunion in 1935.

Oct 13, 2026

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