Written by: David A. Kelly
Illustrated by: Oliver Dominguez
Lena Blackburne loved to play, watch, and even coach baseball, but sadly he never seemed to be good enough at any one thing to become famous in his beloved sport. Miracle Mud is an informational picturebook that details Lena's discovery of a special type of mud that finally fixed the problem of dealing with slippery and shiny new baseballs without making them smell bad and look gross. Through the mud, Lena was finally able to find his true place in the sport of baseball, so read the story to see how the legacy of the mud lives on today.
Summer always brings my attention to many things, but there is one specific thing that I always get excited about: baseball! There is nothing quite like going to a baseball game during the summer, so I wanted to choose a book on the sport since I have not been able to physically attend any games recently. This book provides an interesting look at baseball, as it focuses on an unusual subject within the sport (someone who is not a star player), a creative thinker who changed the sport of baseball and even made his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame in a unique way.
Beginning with the end pages, Oliver Dominguez's sporty illustrations shine through; each end page is filled with illustrations of baseballs in front of newspaper clippings. Not only does this introduce the use of perspective used throughout the book, but it also serves as an instance of foreshadowing with the idea of making baseball news and history. In addition to the end pages, Dominguez's work shines in this picturebook, as sports are one of his biggest passions, so his skill in creating a sense of motion within each of the baseball-action shots is especially impactful for readers.
Once Lena discovers the magic mud that will take the shine off of baseballs without damaging them, his legacy is confirmed with David Kelly's text. Kelly states that "Lena's mud is the only thing that's allowed on major-league balls. Players can't use water or spit or shoe polish. Just mud. Lena's mud." Not only has Lena finally found his place within baseball, but the illustration also complements the text by detailing boxes of mud to be shipped to all of the larger baseball stadiums in the US (Ex: Yankee Stadium, Tiger Stadium, Cleveland Municipal Stadium, etc.). Furthermore, I really like the message that failure is alright, because it gives you a chance to try again and find a new place to thrive.
The accuracy of the narrative story of Lena's mud discovery is strengthened by the author's note, which include detailed presentations of Lena's life and the rules of baseball with respect to the miracle mud. Additionally, Lena's statistics are listed on an illustration of a baseball card, making one final connection to his dream of staying involved in baseball that remained present though out Lena's life. Additionally, both the author and illustrator claim to have/had a passion for baseball, making their connection to the book more genuine and exciting for readers. I think this would make a great read for younger elementary readers, as the text is fairly simple. Additionally, it would be great to incorporate in any sports studies to show that you do not have to be a fantastic athlete to love and be involved in sports or other activities.
Link to the Baseball Rubbing Mud website: http://baseballrubbingmud.com/
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