Day 1: Bunnies and Ducklings Edition

Day One is in the books. There were five match-ups, featuring books about bunnies, ducklings, and even some lambs. . . just in time for Easter. If today was any indication, Jack is just as excited as I am to see how this is going to play out! But let's get right to it:


Sandra Boynton Region
7. Moo, Baa, La La La! vs. 10. Tennis Legends
I had forecast Boynton's own "Moo, Baa, La La La!" as a sleeper read coming out of this region (even though I had a glaring typo in the bracket that made the book sound scarier than it was). "Tennis Legends" came out strong and busted a lot of brackets in the first read-off of the tourney. And while it's not basketball, NBA bad contract progenitor Yannick Noah made an appearance. And I learned how to pronounce Zsuzsa Körmöczy, the proper execution of which will be a must if "Tennis Legends" expects to make it any further.

Dr. Seuss Region

8. The Lorax vs. 9. The Runaway Bunny

Another book going down in its own region has talking heads speculating about a curse. "The Lorax" is going to be read and reread in our house for years to come, but in this tournament I think it was a victim of its own size. "The Runaway Bunny" was able to sustain interest with its dynamic shifts between color and black-and-white, and could hop pretty far if it makes it out of the Round of 32. 

Beatrix Potter Region
5. Richard Scarry's The Bunny Book vs. 12. The Story of Ping
2 Bolton Gardens saw a lot of action today as animal books were the trend. Bunnies overtook duckies in this Easter-day match-up. It was close at times, but the reveal at the end of "The Bunny Book" was just too much for the #12 seed. Reading "The Story of Ping" for the first time in years was exciting for both of us. At every page, I held my breath over fears that it hadn't aged well, not unlike Bobby Knight's tenure on ESPN. It held up better than that.

3. The Tale of Peter Rabbit vs. 14. If Animals Kissed Goodnight
Confirmation of the author region curse! I really enjoyed "Peter Rabbit" after all these years, and I think we can all sympathize with the homesteading McGregors during these times. This is the first truly big upset of the tournament, and what analysts failed to account for were the sloooooow sloth kisses from the #14 seed. Peter Rabbit was quick enough to escape being in Mrs. McGregor's pie, but couldn't make it out of the first round. All of his Potter's characters are returning for next season (except Peter Rabbit, Sr. . . . RIP), so this one can look forward to a strong run next season.

2. Guess How Much I Love You? vs. 15. The Shy Little Kitten
Wow. "Guess How Much I Love You?" dominated, and Vegas is already looking at this book as a strong championship contender. With two characters with easy voices (both bunnies, by the way) and lots of opportunities for physical gestures, it did extremely well. "The Shy Little Kitten" was a fun book that we'll be reading again in the future, with a lot of good voices, too (a mole, a frog, and of course the titular character), but it may have also collapsed under its own weight. My wife had lost interest by the time everyone was reunited and laughing at the end of the book.

And that's a wrap on day one. We have 27 more match-ups in Round 1, and we'll get back into the action on tomorrow! Take care, and enjoy your Easter Sunday!