Mickey Mantle: The Commerce Comet [hc]
Written by Jonah Winter & illustrated by C.F. Payne [Ohio]
This extraordinary picture-book biography traces Mickey Mantle’s unparalleled baseball career. He could run from home plate to first base in 2.9 seconds. He could hit a ball 540 feet- the longest home run in major league history. He was the greatest switch hitter ever to play the game. And he did it all despite broken bones, pulled muscles, strains, and sprains, from his shoulders to his feet. How did a poor country boy from Commerce, Oklahoma, become one of the greatest and most beloved baseball players of all time? This is the story. 40 pages
"The narrator's voice has a certain folksy charm that works well, given Mantle's background as a miner's son from a small community in Oklahoma. Payne's artwork, created with acrylic and pencil, transports readers to that setting as well as several ballparks, while portraying characters with energy and personality." - Booklist (Grades 2-4)
February 7, 2017
AR Level=4.7; Lexile Level=810
