Yes, we’re reviewing a children’s book.

Why not? It’s good. It was co-authored by Eagles alumnus Brian Westbrook and former CBS 3 sports anchor Lesley Van Arsdall. It’s called The Mouse Who Played Football and it gets a 10 out of 10 just for the fact that Andy Reid appears in the story as “Big Red” and is depicted this way by illustrator “Mr. Tom” –

Perfect.

They also snuck a 41-33 in there, too, UNLESS this is just coincidence:

The book basically tells B West’s career story, but in a children’s format. Brian the mouse was undersized. Too small to play dodgeball, too small for middle school football practice, and too small for the MFL (Mouse Football League). Obviously he perseveres because he learns that it’s not always about size and strength, but about speed and shiftiness. It’s about smarts and savvy. You have to find ways to play to your strengths and bang home what you’re good at.

Westbrook’s story has always been an inspirational one. The guy came through D2 Villanova as an undersized athlete and went on to play in a Super Bowl and make two Pro Bowls. You translate that into any language or any format and it’s worth telling. In this case, your kiddo learns a very basic “never doubt yourself” message, which is valuable. And if you’re reading the book to your kid, you just kind of zone out and think about real football and some of those 2002 to 2009 Eagles teams.

This beats reading Hansel and Gretel to my kid for the 100th time in a row. Also, that story is pretty dark, isn’t it? We considered banning it. The witch tries to eat the kids, so they shove her in the oven and run away. Talk about brutal!

The Mouse Who Played Football is the polar opposite. It’s a fun read with a good message. We give it a 10 out of 10.