Winners never quit. But quitting helps one little rabbit win big.

When you step up to the plate, and all eyes are on you ...

When the crowd is cheering for you to hit one out of the park ...

Do you have to?

Out of the Box is a groundbreaking picture book by award-winning author and baseball superfan Stacey May Fowles that encourages young readers to listen to their own instincts and give themselves a break -- even as others may demand they push farther, jump high, be stronger.

In this story a young baseball player hears, just above the roar of the lions in the crowd, a small voice that tells them something doesn't feel quite right. Stepping out of the batter's box to follow this whisper, they walk away from the game to discover new places, meet new friends and dream new dreams.

They may get back in the game--or they may not--but Out of the Box shows young readers of "the anxious generation" how leaving their bats behind is always an option. And that quitting, even if we're at the top of our game, can sometimes give us the time, space and distance to figure out what it really looks like to win.

Key Text Features

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4

Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.