Today is Opening Day

In honor of the new season, I will be posting a few quick interviews.

Clemente by Willie Perdomo is a great introduction to Roberto Clemente. The author was kind enough to agree to answer a few questions.

How many baseball books did you read for research purposes?
Not many. Most of the sources are listed in the back of the book. I researched the stats and the speech he made in Spanish after winning the world series. Everything else was in the voice of little Clemente.

2 One fact about Clemente or the game of baseball that you wished you were able to fit in the book?
I can't think of any. I didn't want to get too biographical with the text. I wanted to highlight little Clemente's voice and enthusiasm.

3 Picture book authors run the risk of be paired with an illustrator, whose style doesn't enhance the text. Thankfully that didn't happen to Clemente. Bryan Collier is an award winning illustrator and his wonderful illustrations fit the text perfectly. When did you know you'd be paired with Collier?

At this point in my very short children's lit career, I've been lucky in that Collier has been the go-to artist for my work.

4 What is it about baseball fans and baseball books? ( I am not judging. I also get baseball book fever. Looking forward to reading The Baseball by Zack Hample)

Fundamentally, we are always on the lookout for that heroic moment. Baseball provides those moments. Books provide insight and context for those moments.
5. Who is your favorite team?

If it's Mets vs. Yankees, I'm picking the Mets.

Willie, thank you so much for your time. (Go Mets) Clemente is a beautiful biography and perfect for anyone who loves the game of baseball.



My Review
The boy in the story is named after Clemente. His parents tell him about his namesake. The family lives in The Bronx where Roberto Clemente was rey. His father is president of the greatest fans of Roberto Clemente club.

"He'll take out his baseball card collection
and pull all his mint condition Clementes,
and then he'll start calling Clemente,
I mean really calling him,
like he was try like he was trying to talk
to the ghost of Roberto Clemente."

"Clemente! Clemente!
It's us, tu gente!
Clemente! Clemente!
Prince of the baseball diamante,
Canon-arm Clemente,
Puerto Rican prince Clemente,
Hall of fame Clemente"

Perdomo text is informative, lyrical, visual and fun. Sometimes a little flair is expected when talking about great baseball players or plays. Perdomo gives the reader exactly that.

He also lets the reader see all sides of Clemente - the player, the son who when interviewed after winning the World Series spoke Spanish first for his parents, and the man who tried to help Nicaraqua after an earthquake. The author inculdes a great Roberto Clemente timeline in the back

I love Robert Collier's artistic style. It was a perfect fit for this biography. In his notes Collier mentions the medium he used.

"I created the watercolor and collage images of Roberto in action in multiple repeated layers to express the speed, power, impact, and sound he embodied when playing baseball"

Perdomo and Collier have come together to create wonderful biography on Roberto Clemente. Baseball fans of all ages will love it

She Loved Baseball - Audrey Vernick, Don Tate

She Loved Baseball : The Effa Manley Story by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Don Tate

If you've visited my blog before, you know I love baseball. This is the story of Effa Manley the first woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Vernick first introduces us to a young Effa Brooks in first grade. Effa loved playing baseball with her brothers but wasn't allowed because she was a girl and was lighter in skin tone. In 1932 after finishing high school Effa moves from Philadelphia to New York City.

Upset by the unfair treatment of Blacks. Effa gets involved to make a difference. White store owners were refusing to hire Black workers.

"She organized the Citizens League for Fair Play, a group of community leaders. They urged Harlem's largest department store to hire black salesclerks. The owner said no. Nobody believed a group of Black people could change a White bussinessman's mind, but the league fought anyway. For weeks they marched in the street. They convinced their neighbors to shop elsewhere. The store lost money. But still no Black salesclerks. The league kept marching. Finally they won. Newspapers reported the boycotts success."

In 1935 Effa marries Abe Manley. The couple started the Brooklyn Eagles, in the newly formed Negro National League. Effa played a vital roll in the teams sucess, even after they moved to New Jersey in 1936. She always fought for the rights of her players. In 1970, decades after the end of the Negro Leagues, Effa Manley started a letter writing campaign to get some Baseball Hall of Fame to induct some of the best Negro League players.

When I finished this biography, (which I loved, in case that's not obvious) my first thought was why, am I just know hearing about Effa Manley. As much as I love baseball and its history, Effa Manley is someone who I should know. And now I do.

This was a serious trifecta for me. 1. A woman who loved baseball. 2. a woman who refused to be stop because of her gender or race 3. It bridges the gap between the Negro Leagues and Majors.

Two of the players on the Eagles last team were Monte Irvin and Larry Doby. * Vernick also seamlessly includes 1946 Negro League world series between, the Newwark Eagles and the Kansas City Monarchs. Vernick makes the reader feel the excitement of that last game in the series.

Don Tate's colors and style have a very open feel , making them a perfect fit for this story. Tate paid close attention to details from the clothes to the model of the bus the team used. Towards the end there's a close up of Effa Manley that's simply beautiful.

When I read that in 2006 Effa Manley was the first woman ever to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, I got a little choked up. Thanks to Vernick and Tate, they did such a great job telling Effa Manley's stories. This is a must read for baseball fans of all ages.

I've linked this post to Nonfiction Monday. This weeks roundup can be found at
Write About Now



*Larry Doby and Monte Irvin are some serious baseball names. When I came across them, I did a wow double take. Doby was the first Black player in the American League. Vernick mentions this. Monte Irvin played for the NY Giants along with Willie Mays. Irvin looked out for a young Willie Mays. This is probably more than you needed or wanted to know. Hopefully a few baseball fans will read and enjoy it