Miracle Mud

Lena Blackburne loved baseball. He watched it, he played it, he coached it. But he didn't love the ways players broke in new baseballs. Tired of soggy, blackened, stinky baseballs, he found a better way. Thanks to a well-timed fishing trip and a top-secret mud recipe, Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud was born. For seventy-five years, baseball teams have used Lena's magic mud to prepare baseballs before every game. Read the story of how Lena's mud went from a riverbank to the major leagues and all the way to the Hall of Fame.
"This story is sure to hook young baseball fans with its action-packed illustrations and unique subject matter....The book is an excellent way to engage young sports fans and could easily be used as a bridge for interdisciplinary activities." -Library Media Connection
"The colorful, exaggerated paintings artfully (and comically) capture the full allure of ballpark ambiance by including plenty of behind-the-scenes activity. The information provided in the minimal text is bolstered by a solid two-page author's note." -Booklist
"Kelly provides information about an unusual aspect of the game in a sprightly, entertaining story with a great 'aha' moment. Dominguez's bright, expressive double-page spreads follow the events closely and make them live." -Kirkus Reviews
"Dominguez's illustrations, which are painterly in style, look as if pastels were used to draw the dramatic baseball poses in a variety of perspectives....This accessible story will be enjoyable to a larger audience than just baseball fans." -School Library Journal