Earl the Pearl

Earl the Pearl is a book about baseball . . . and about believing in yourself. Earl, the baseball-loving snail, overcomes his slowness and, in his own unique style, shows the team his worth as a player. He teaches the lesson that if you really love something, and put your whole heart into it, you will succeed. We become heroes through hard work and believing that we can overcome any obstacle standing in our way. No matter who, or what kind of critter you are, if you truly love the game, you can be a winner! About the author: Dennis Santos was born on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, and raised in a small plantation town called Ahukini. Growing up on the island, Dennis and his friends spent much time creating their own recreation. They made their own sports equipment -- surf boards, canoes, basketball hoops mounted on palm trees; for their favorite sport, baseball, they made bats from tree branches, gloves from paper bags. For baseballs they used golf balls that they found at a nearby golf course. Their stadium was the open beach where coconuts, half buried in the sand, served as bases, and a home run was a ball hit into the ocean. After his high school years, Dennis ventured to Santa Barbara, California where he was married and raised a family. He worked as a youth minister to junior high and high school students, and now is a regional consultant for youth ministry in the Santa Barbara region. His love for the sport of baseball has not dimmed, and he enjoys coaching children in Little League. He sees coaching as a teaching method to help kids build character and develop a real love for the game. He wrote "Earl the Pearl" to be used as motivational tool for his players.