The story of Mickey Mantle is a truly inspiring one. Mickey dealt with so many injuries throughout his lifetime. When he was fourteen, Mickey was in and out of hospitals due to a bone disease which almost caused him to lose his leg. During a game, Mickey detached his right knee from his ligaments. However, despite all these injuries that would normally cause a man to retire his baseball career, Mickey persevered through. He knew he would never be as fast as he once was, but that didn't mean he still couldn't be the fastest, and so he was. Mickey, despite all of the injuries that told him he couldn't play again, still achieved his dreams of becoming a legendary baseball player. I love the message of perseverance that this story displays for young children. It truly teaches children to never give up on their dreams and I love that. ( )

Nice baseball picture book about the famous slugger. I love the art, which is done in beautiful realistic paintings, big and bold. The folksy writing style is fun to read--for example, Mickey's dad, a miner, "just hauled off and *decided* that Mickey was going to be ... a baseball player." Or, "he doesn't just swing--he CLOBBERS the living tar out of that ball..." I had no idea he played through so many injuries. Author's note at the front of the book does give some more details for older readers, mentioning that Mantle suffered from the "disease of alcoholism" which colored his personal life. Nice book for any baseball fan. ( )

Baseball story; perseverance despite great difficulties ( )