Mariano Rivera, a record-breaking major league baseball player, grew up in a small fishing village in Panama. His father had his own boat and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, but Mariano didn’t want to be a fisherman. He loved baseball!
Without money for equipment, the boy and his friends had to be creative. They improvised a mango tree limb for a bat, made gloves out of cardboard and wrapped a rock in shredded fishing nets and tape to create a ball! Even though Mariano was the smallest, he was quick and athletic, and he constantly practiced hitting, catching and throwing to improve his game. After high school, he worked with his father, but when their boat sank, he was more convinced than ever that fishing was not for him!
He started his baseball career as a shortstop for a local team, which made it to the national championship two years in a row. A New York Yankees scout invited Mariano to a tryout, and soon after he was hired to play for a minor league team in Tampa, Florida. He joined the New York Yankees in 1995 and went on to become a great relief pitcher and top closer, helping his team to win five World Series. He broke the record in 2011 for the most games saved as a closer, and in 2019 became the first major league player to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame with 100% of the votes. With engaging text and lively illustrations by acclaimed artist Robert Casilla, this book is sure to win many young fans.
Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year in Spanish, 2024
Mención de honor, 2024 Premio Campoy-Ada de la Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española (en la categoría de no ficción infantil, Latino-Céntrica)
“An inspirational picture book biography sharing the story of Mariano Rivera, former baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees. The realistic illustrations depict not only his life but the many hours he spent practicing; the bilingual English and Spanish text provide interesting and inspiring details about his life. VERDICT: An excellent picture book biography, sure to encourage children to work hard to follow their dreams.”—School Library Journal
Praise for the work of Robert Casilla:
“The simple narrative text and the dramatic color illustrations show the discrimination that was common when Parks was growing up . . . In addition to the sweeping political scenes, there are portraits by Casilla that capture the ordinary person who made a difference.”—Booklist on A Picture Book of Rosa Parks
“Realistic watercolor, pastel, and colored-pencil illustrations are especially adept at portraying Chico’s emotions.”—Booklist on First Day in Grapes
“The watercolor, colored-pencil, and pastel illustrations bring warmth and color to this portrait of life in rural California.”—School Library Journal on First Day in Grapes
“A good choice for boys who love sports and kids who need books featuring African American role models.”—Children’s Literature Review on Jackie Robinson: He Led the Way
ROBERT CASILLA was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to parents from Puerto Rico. He has illustrated many children’s books, including Pat Mora’s The Remembering Day / El día de los muertos (Piñata Books, 2015) and First Day in Grapes (Lee & Low Books, 2014), which received a Pura Belpré Honor Award. He lives in New Fairfield, Connecticut, with his wife Carmen.
