EBOOK
About
Mamie "Peanut" Johnson had one dream: to play professional baseball. She was a talented player, but she wasn't welcome in the segregated All-American Girls Pro Baseball League due to the color of her skin. However, a greater opportunity came her way in 1953 when Johnson signed to play ball for the Negro Leagues' Indianapolis Clowns, becoming the first female pitcher to play on a men's professional team. During the three years she pitched for the Clowns, her record was an impressive 33-8. But more importantly, she broke ground for other female athletes and for women everywhere.
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Reviews
"The colorful, expressive artwork highlights Johnson's joy while also showing the oppressive racism faced by the ball player and her teammates. The afterword explains how Johnson's contributions to the sport have resonated through the years, earning recognition from Presidents Clinton and Obama. Readers who are unfamiliar with Johnson will walk away from Henderson's thoughtfully written picture book biography as fans of this resilient, über-talented ballplayer. An important purchase for most collections."
School Library Journal
"In this biography of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson...Henderson focuses on Johnson's determination and passion for the sport. . . .Johnson's grit appeals: "She would say, 'Don't emphasize the hardness of it,' because she and the other players were doing what they wanted to do-playing the game they loved." Smoothly exaggerated realism gives Doutsiopoulos's illustrations an engaging cartoon flair."
Publishers Weekly
"Through informative prose and muscular illustrations, Mamie emerges as both small in stature and larger than life. . . .The artwork deftly works with the text to provide a memorable reading experience, Mamie's enthusiasm and determination shining from every page. . . .This compelling story of breaking barriers and perseverance is timely and essential. . . .An incredible tribute to an African American woman who dismantled racial and gender obstacles amid the civil rights movement."
Kirkus Reviews