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Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball
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About Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne And The Secret Mud
Product Description 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. From School Library Journal Gr 2-4-Most readers of this picture-book biography will not know about "Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud," which has been used to prepare baseballs before every game for the past 75 years. However, once they hear this tale, they will never again look at a game ball in the same way. Blackburne was never an outstanding player, but he will go down in history for developing a solution to the wet, soggy baseballs that could be difficult to throw during a game. One day after fishing, he stepped in some soft, gooey mud and an idea was born. Because the mud took the shine off any new white baseball, he began to sell it. 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. The author appends a note about why baseball players prefer a dirty ball to a bright white one. Front endpapers show squeaky clean balls while the back endpapers exhibit balls after they have used Lena's Rubbing Mud. This accessible story with be enjoyable to a larger audience than just baseball fans.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From Booklist Kids looking for a quirky topic to fill an assignment on inventors are going to appreciate this picture-book biography. The invention of baseball mud came about because new baseballs were too shiny and slick for pitchers to get a good grip, and the sheen blinded batters. Many methods were used to remedy this, from soaking the balls in dirty water, which made them soggy and soft, to using spit and tobacco juice, which was just, well, nasty. Enter Lena Blackburne, a baseball player with limited success who eventually settled into coaching in the early part of the twentieth century. While he was fishing near his home, the mud sticking to his boots gave him the idea of rubbing it on baseballs, and Lena Blackburne’s Baseball Rubbing Mud was born. Today all baseballs used in major league games are rubbed with this mud. 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. Grades 2-4. --Randall Enos Review "This story is sure to hook young baseball fans with its action-packed illustrations and unique subject matter. Kelly begins with Lena Blackburne's baseball career, as a coach he discovered the dark New Jersey mud now rubbed on baseballs and for which he is famous. This magic mud solved the problem of slippery baseballs and solidified Blackburne's place in the Hall of Fame. Dominguez's illustrations make each page pop with fast-paced baseball action. Simple text keeps the story moving, and will be interesting to young readers; however, for the details about Blackwood's mud readers will have to go to the author's note. The book is an excellent way to engage young sports fans and could easily be used as a bridge for interdisciplinary activities. The story may inspire a few science fair projects as students test the various shine remedies for themselves. Students and educators can access additional resources on the publisher's website." ―Library Media Connection ― Journal Published On: 2013-08-01 "K
