Who is the oldest fan at the ballpark?
You might be surprised!
A STORY celebrating baseball, family, and the memories that connect generations.
Coming to Amazon, November 3, 2026
This faithful fan has a story to share.
Season after season, children race onto the neighborhood diamond while one quiet observer watches with anticipation. Bats swing, cheers rise, and balls fly up, up, up—into waiting mitts or the branches beside the field.
Filled with whimsical characters and beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations, Roots of the Game celebrates baseball, family, and the memories that connect generations. This joyful picture book captures the excitement of childhood at the ballpark, from first swings to lemonade and sunflower seeds. Children will delight in the action, while grown-ups will be inspired to share memories of their own youth baseball days.
A classic read for all ages, it’s a thoughtful gift to celebrate a first season or begin a family read-aloud tradition. Open the book together and discover how deep your Roots of the Game can grow.
A Peek Inside
“Before there was a field, before there were fences,
before the bright lights filled the night sky,
there was only me.”
(Select an image to enlarge.)
Book size: 8×10’’, 36 pages of text and illustrations.
Share a story. Support your league.
Bring Roots of the Game to your community through our League Fundraising and Organization Bulk Purchasing programs.
Youth sports leagues (baseball, softball, etc.) can purchase books at a discount, sell them to families at the regular retail price, and keep the difference to support their programs.
Planning gifts, awards, player recognition, or a community event? Volume discounts are also available for leagues, schools, tournament organizers, sponsors, and other organizations.
Books are ship together to one designated league or organization address.
Giving Back
From supporting organizations that promote children’s medical, physical, and emotional well-being to planting trees where we need them the most, a portion of the revenue from our book and merchandise sales will to go these worthy causes and more.
Because, every child deserves a chance to … PLAY BALL!
About Us
The idea for Roots of the Game came during the opening day at Simi Youth Baseball. James noticed younger siblings playing around a tree behind the backstop and wondered: How long has that tree been here, and what stories could it tell about everything it’s seen?
That question became the starting point for this book.
As parents of two active boys, we’ve spent plenty of time at fields, rinks, and gyms. Youth sports have given our family great memories, and we’ve watched our boys build confidence, make friends, and learn how to work with others.
With screens taking up so much of children’s attention today, we appreciate having a place where they can get outside, connect with other kids, and be part of a team. We wrote Roots of the Game to celebrate that experience and give families a story to enjoy together.
— James and Tabitha, authors
Meet the Illustrator
Stephen Stone has illustrated for leading publishers and independent authors since 2011. With a master’s degree in Visual Communication specializing in Narrative Illustration, he combines hand-drawn lines and hand-painted textures to create characters full of humor and personality. We loved how Stephen understood our vision for Roots of the Game and made it richer—from the energy of the ballpark to the playful squirrel you’ll spot throughout the book.
Beyond the Book
We’re putting together a collection of Roots of the Game merchandise inspired by the book, for families and fans who love the game.
Check back to see what’s coming.
MERCHANDISE COMING SOON