Growing Up Pedro
By Matt Tavares
Baseball season, and the crack of the bat brings crowds craning their necks to their feet to see how far the ball will go.
But just how how far will it go is always the question? And more than that, just how far did the player have to come, to get where he is?
Matt Tavares has written, illustrated and thrown the perfect game of a picture book, when it comes to telling the sibling story of the Ramirez Brothers, named Ramon and Pedro.
Starting in the Dominican Republic in 1981, with Pedro watching his older and admired brother pitch in fields, it chronicles the patient and persistent climb of these two baseball pitching brothers.
Though the book centers mainly on the achievements of Pedro; a Cy Young Award winner, pitcher at the All-Star game eight times, and pitcher of six no-hit games that sent the Red Sox to the American League Championship Series, it is Ramon that is his guide, and a pitcher in his own right.
Matt Tavares paints a very detailed portrait of a fully focused Pedro who is all seriousness and focus on the field, yet on days when he doesn’t pitch…he isn’t so serious.
One night in order to quell the high spirited talking, laughing, joking and dancing Pedro, his teammates “tape him to a pole in the dugout.”He loved it!
Interesting point though, when I mentioned the book to my husband, he said that Pedro was, as he put it, an “intimidating”pitcher. I took that to mean he might be a wee bit menacing, as his pitches sometimes came a mite close to the batter.
Still, Matt Tavares’picture book had me hooked from the first, and I am not a die hard baseball fan. His full page painting portraying the intensity and concentration on Pedro’s face as he pitches, is just as revealing as the words on this picture book page.
I think young readers, baseball fans or no, will benefit from dreams realized of two brothers named Martinez, that planned of playing together in the major leagues.
And, more than that, they had both the talent and tenacity to make it happen!
Becoming Babe Ruth
By Matt Tavares
I guess the reason I enjoyed reading this book about the life of the iconic baseball figure, Babe Ruth, was mainly because of its title. It says a great deal to children in a simple phrase and its use of the word “becoming” is very telling in itself. In addition I think the art work is very warm and emotional in that it has a real “feel” for portraying the beginnings of the life of the Babe, the big moments AND the giving back for which he was known.
No one becomes who they are “alone” – not even world class baseball idols like Babe Ruth. Even his name, “Babe” was given him by teammates, who after his hire by Jack Dunn of the Baltimore Orioles, said, “He’s one of Jack Dunn’s new babes” – shorthand for a newbie.
Babe’s early life seemed destined for trouble. Stealing, skipping school and roaming the streets filled his days until his parents, at seven years of age, take him to the St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys on June 13, 1902. He begs for another chance, but unbeknownst to George Herman Ruth, THIS is his chance!
School seems an endless routine of church, class, work and rule following. Rule following and classes are his least favorite things. And he is homesick.
One pursuit at the school sparks his interest – baseball. A Brother Matthias can hit the heck out of the ball, over the school yard fence, not once, but again and again.
George is mesmerized. He has found his passion and his mentor. He will play in 200 games a year at the school, even in winter.
Brother Matthias teaches him how to throw a curveball, how to turn a double play, how to get a runner off at first. He learns EVERY position on the field including catcher and shortstop.
At 16, George is the biggest boy on the team – and the best. Soon he has caught the eye of Jack Dunn, owner of the minor league, Baltimore Orioles and after watching him for a 30 minute pitching demo, Jack offers the 16 year old a contract.
Two weeks later, suitcase in hand, he leaves St. Mary’s for the outside world. Newspapers start calling him “Babe Ruth” after the nickname given him by his teammates.
From the Baltimore Orioles to the Boston Red Sox where he becomes the best pitcher in baseball, his team wins the World Series in 1915, 1916 and 1918. Then, it’s to the New York Yankees and signed for an unheard of $125,000 paid for his contract, the largest sum EVER paid at that time for a baseball player.
Babe is a celebrity living the high life. But he never forgets his early start at St. Mary’s. He breaks the single-season home-run record halfway through his first season with the Yankees. Babe is dubbed “The Batterer”, “The Colossus” and “The Sultan of Swat.”
Here comes the part of the book I love and I hope kid and parents will too. St. Mary’s is demolished by a raging fire. It has all but been destroyed, but Babe has an idea. Writing a letter to Brother Matthias, Babe invites the 50 piece school band to join him “on the road” and come along with the New York Yankees on a road trip. Could you see kids reading this and imaging the thrill of such an opportunity today?
The 50 boys go to all the games and before each game, play a concert in the stands. They are called “Babe Ruth’s Boy Band” and the huge crowds attending the game are eager to contribute to the rebuilding of St. Mary’s – and they do!
And he returns to the Big Yard at the rebuilt school where he saw Brother Matthias smack the ball over the big trees again and again. But this time, The Babe does the same thing for the boys.
Matt Tavares has written a historically accurate picture of a baseball icon and honed in on one small event in a historic baseball career. BUT, he has managed to achieve more than that in “Becoming Babe Ruth.” In his “Author’s Note”, Matt states that even the seemingly superhuman Babe Ruth needed help along his journey to greatness. He needed role models that cared, along with a ton of support and guidance.
And even after his fairy tale rise to stardom, he never forgot the shoulders that he had stood on to achieve his goals – or even forming the idea of a goal to be reached.
Much has been written in eastern papers of late of the Yankee captain, Derek Jeter. His career that has recently come to a close has served as a role model of dogged determination for excellence, along with a scandal free personal life, topped off by a final game that was magical in which all the stars seemed to align.
Yet, the character and performance of Babe Ruth still stands out in its greatness, despite the weaknesses that showed themselves in his later adult life. His athletic achievement stood out, but what is remarkable is his eagerness never to forget what formed him. He wanted to provide hope for kids in orphanages, reform schools and hospitals, telling young ones that they too could achieve something in life – that good things are possible even with a rocky start.
“Becoming Babe Ruth” is a great picture book in this “play off” season to remind kids what is possible in baseball – and life, even when you’re down in the 9th inning AND bases are loaded.
Above artwork from Matt Tavares: read his blog post on the exhibit here.
For anyone within driving distance of Wenham, Massachusetts - be sure to plan a visit to the Wenham Museum's upcoming exhibit: 90 Years of Storybook Art.
The broader exhibit looks great - but I'm planning on visiting during A Celebration of Contemporary New England Children’s Book Illustrators from March 2 to March18, 2012
Here's a quote from an article with all the details:
"This two-week special display features 50 original artworks from today’s award-winning New England illustrators including Pat Lowery Collins, Leslie Evans, Giles Laroche, Grace Lin, David McPhail, Claire Nivola and Teri Weidner.
On Sunday, March 4, 1-4 pm the public is invited to an opening reception of the Contemporary New England Children’s Book Illustrators exhibit. Children are welcome to come dressed as their favorite children’s book character, create block prints with children’s illustrator, Leslie Evans, create collage art with museum educators and meeting children’s author-illustrators Pat Lowery Collins, Leslie Evans, Giles LaRoche, Grace Lin and Teri Weidner at readings and book signings throughout the afternoon."
If you plan on going, post a comment! It's always a treat to see other artists work in person, especially of such esteem. I might bring the whole family to the March 4th opening. It certainly looks fun for all ages!
HENRY AARON'S DREAM, by Matt Tavares (Candlewick 2010)(ages 8-10). Young Henry Aaron had always dreamt of becoming a major league baseball player. So he dedicated himself to that task, practicing at every opportunity. It still seemed impossible, in the 1940s, in segregated Alabama. But, then, Jackie Robinson burst onto the scene and Henry's dream seemed just a little more real.
So he worked even harder, playing first in the Negro League and then in the minors, until in 1954, he earned a position with the Milwaukee Braves. And, then, twenty years later, he broke Babe Ruth's home run record...
HENRY AARON'S DREAM is an uplifting and heartwarming account of how, through perseverance and ignoring the nay-sayers, Hank Aaron made it to the Major Leagues to become baseball's home run king.
Personal Note: I remember how excited my brother and I were when my mom took us to see the Braves play the Cubs at Wrigley Field that summer, and especially the ovation Hank Aaron received when he came up to bat. It was the first time I'd ever seen the fans stand up en masse and applaud a player on another team.
Author: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrator: Matt Tavares
Published: 2008 Candlewick Press (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0763625302
Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Stunningly warm, intimate illustrations and eleven candid first person accounts capture the crescendo of Lady Liberty’s creation, from idea to unveiling, and give us an enduring appreciation for the landmark, her creators and the many lives she has touched.
Other books mentioned:
You can learn more about the process of illustrating this book here.
Barbara Forrest was educated in Louisiana public schools and is professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University. She was one the six experts witnesses for the plaintiffs in the first lawsuit filed over intelligent design creationism, Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Her book, Creationism’s Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design, which she co-authored wih Paul R. Gross, is a carefully documented expose of the intelligent design movement. In the article below she reflects on her role since the publication of the book.
When Paul Gross and I wrote Creationism’s Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design, we fully expected that someone with a child in a public school somewhere in the United States would eventually file a legal complaint to stop the teaching of intelligent design (ID) creationism. We had no idea, however, in January 2004, when our book first came out, that a legal case was already brewing in tiny Dover, Pennsylvania. In December 2004, Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District was filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania by eleven parents who objected to the Dover school board’s attempt to inject ID into the local high school’s science curriculum. (more…)
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