Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball

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, VA