Like many fathers, I’ve read my share of children’s books.

And I’ve read more than a few alphabet books based on a theme, so I’m pretty picky. Still I could be forgiven for being biased in favor of a children’s alphabet book about rugby. I tried very, very hard to be dispassionate, but I am not sure I can be. 

So, with that disclaimer, here’s a review of R is for Rugby by Mike Petri with illustrations by Max Thompson. Petri, of course, is the USA scrumhalf and a player I have written about for about 15 years. 

The hard part in an alphabet kid’s book is to get the meter right on the poetry, balance what you want to talk about with a kid’s attention span, and cover all the alphabetical bases. It’s clear that Petri has done the job here. He keeps the four-line poetry snappy, and because he was smart enough not to hit us with five or six letter options, and edits himself down. It’s direct, quick, and a lot of fun.

Thompson’s illustrations are perfect in that they show rugby played in a yard, in a stadium, in the desert, on the beach, making the game what it is, a game for all.

I won’t spoil the rhymes - buy the book - but I will say that every alphabet book has to struggle with the letter X (I read one book that used Xerophyllum Tenax). I kind of expected to Petri to give a shout-out to his old high school, Xavier. But that’s not his style … that’s not inclusive. So instead pushes the envelope a little on rugby terms of art, but it’s a good choice.

I really like Y, and the picture for P is a classic. But the true success of the book, whether it’s about rugby or polo or lumberjacking is Petri’s economy of motion. In rugby terms, as a write he picks it up and passes it, with no wasted movement. That’s not easy to do, and for a kid’s book, it’s imperative.

This is a wonderful children’s book, and I should know, I’ve read a lot of them, and it also happens to do a great service to our game.

For more on R is For Rugby go to: www.risforrugby.com