Mudball (Tavares baseball books) [Hardcover]

Matt Tavares (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Tavares baseball books

Matt Tavares brings to life a winning tale of the shortest home run in history with the help of his luminous artwork and an infectious love of the game.

CRACK!
Somehow, Andy's bat had hit the ball. Everybody heard it . . . but nobody saw where it went.

Andy Oyler is the shortest player on his baseball team, the Minneapolis Millers, not to mention the whole league. And no matter how hard he tries, he just can't seem to get a hit. But one fateful spring day in 1903, a sudden change in the weather leads to a change in Andy Oyler’s luck—and as Andy soon discovers, even the shortest player can become the game's biggest hero! Matt Tavares brings one of baseball's legendary stories to life and champions the underdog in all of us. Helping readers keep score is a bibliography and final note from the author about this uplifting all-American tale.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4–A lighthearted picture-book romp based on baseball's shortest home run. In 1903, Andy Oyler hit the only home run of his entire career, but it's the subject of a much-loved baseball legend. Tavares casts his hero as the classic underdog: Oyler's the shortest player in the league, and he's trying to overcome a batting slump and the heckling of fans. As he steps to the plate on a cold, drizzly day, he represents the Minneapolis Millers' last hope. The drizzle becomes a downpour, but the umpire, believing that the batter stands a good chance of making the final out, lets play continue. Oyler somehow connects with the ball, which then gets lost in the wet, muddy infield. Tavares hilariously details the ensuing chaotic play as fielders scramble to find it and the batter makes his way around the bases. The artist evokes a nostalgic mood using pencil and watercolors in subdued shades of gray, brown, and navy blue. Similar in spirit to Marilyn Sachs's classic baseball tall tales, Matt's Mitt (1975; o.p.) and Fleet-Footed Florence (1981, both Doubleday), this story is sure to delight fans young and old.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. The year is 1903. Andy Oyler, the shortest player in his baseball league, is batting for the Minneapolis Millers with two outs, the bases loaded, and rain falling onto a field of puddles. Oyler's bat connects with the pitch, but no one can find the ball in the mud and standing water until all four runners have crossed home plate. According to the epilogue, Oyler "became a hero by hitting the shortest home run in baseball history." The author's note mentions that the story owes more to legend than history; its earliest mention in print appeared in 1966. The large-scale, softly shaded pencil drawings have plenty of motion, just right for a sports story. Some of the players' gestures and facial expressions are a bit exaggerated, but other pictures reveal characters with a more natural grace. Giving the artwork an old-fashioned air, the drawings are tinted with watercolors in sepia tones, with subtle highlights in other colors. An attractive book for baseball fans who enjoy watching small heroes triumph and don't mind a bit of nostalgia. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1 edition (February 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763623873
• ISBN-13: 978-0763623876
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 0.5 x 11.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,096,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

About me

I grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. I have always loved to draw. My parents say I've been drawing since I was two years old. During high school I took figure drawing classes at Boston University on weekends (a special class for high school students), and then in college I majored in Studio Art. For my senior thesis at Bates College, I wrote and illustrated my first picture book, Sebastian's Ball. Two years later, after much revision, Sebastian's Ball became ZACHARY'S BALL, my first published book. Now I live in Ogunquit, Maine with my wife, Sarah, and our two daughters.


About my work

My first books were illustrated in pencil, partly because that was the medium I felt most comfortable with at the time and partly because monochromatic illustrations felt right for those stories. Since then, my style and process has changed considerably, mostly because I found myself illustrating stories that simply demanded some color. For example, the beanstalk in JACK AND THE BEANSTALK just needed to be green, and the golden eggs needed to have a bright, yellow glow. Now I mostly work in full color, with watercolor and gouache. I try to let each story guide me, and adapt my process accordingly.


Three things you didn't know about me

1. The best birthday gift I've ever gotten was the drafting table my parents got for me when I turned ten. I still use it today. There are other tables in my studio, but I do all my drawing and painting at the table I got for my 10th birthday.

2. I once played on a softball team that lost every single game. Zero wins and sixteen losses! We did much better the next season though- we even won a playoff game!

3. A poster of Boston Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe reading my book, ZACHARY'S BALL, was once given out to the first 10,000 fans at a Boston Red Sox game! This was wonderful, until Derek Lowe entered the game in the 9th inning and proceeded to blow the lead for the Red Sox. Hundreds of people threw their posters onto the field, and the game had to be stopped for several minutes while the ground crew gathered all the posters!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Muball, January 4, 2012

By 

B. Gosse (Hoffman Estates, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mudball (Tavares baseball books) (Hardcover)

A must-read for all kids. Great true story about what a difference the smallest kid on the team makes. Might and determination wins out over size.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars mudball review baseball book, July 3, 2011

By 

Michelle R. Gregory "m gregory" (arkansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mudball (Paperback)

My boys both 7 & 9 love this book we can read it quickly and they love the ending. Great baseball book motivational

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story; great art, August 11, 2005

By 

Reader Mom (Ft. Worth, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mudball (Tavares baseball books) (Hardcover)

My 4 year old son loves this book; it is one of his favorites. It is a great story about being a valuable part of a team, no matter what your size is. It also has a neat historical follow-up about the real team the story is based on. My son says "you will like it!"