The love between brothers is key to Matt Tavares’s tale of Dominican pitcher Pedro Martínez, from his days of throwing rocks at mangoes to his years as a major-league star.
Before Pedro Martínez pitched the Red Sox to a World Series championship, before he was named to the All-Star team eight times, before he won the Cy Young three times, he was a kid from a place called Manoguayabo in the Dominican Republic. Pedro loved baseball more than anything, and his older brother Ramon was the best pitcher he’d ever seen. He’d dream of the day he and his brother could play together in the major leagues—and here, Matt Tavares tells the story of how that dream came true. In a fitting homage to a modern day baseball star, the acclaimed author-illustrator examines both Pedro Martínez’s improbable rise to the top of his game and the power that comes from the deep bond between brothers.
Tavares masterfully depicts, with quick verse and beautiful illustrations, the world in which the two siblings came of age.... This is a strong overview of a remarkable athlete. Martinez’s unbelievable statistics are included at the end of the book. A wonderful introduction to a truly special player.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
Tavares highlights their warm filial relationship, inviting readers to understand how Ramón is challenged by loneliness in America, mostly because his lack of English prevents him from communicating. ... The gouache and watercolor paintings lovingly depict both players, from boyhood to adulthood. Tavares captures some of the iconic images of Pedro: pitching with intensity, goofing off in the bullpen, and even being taped to a pole by his teammates as a prank.
—Horn Book
Tavares’ latest baseball profile, featuring Pedro Martínez, is as much an homage to the love between brothers as it is a biography.... Concluding stats top off this winning title.
—Booklist
Tavares’s luminous paintings pair with accessible prose arranged into verselike passages to create a vivid portrait of two contemporary athletes.
—Publishers Weekly
Watercolor, gouache and pencil illustrations depict the emotional fervor of the action.... A warm portrait of a modern baseball icon.
—Kirkus Reviews
Fraternal mentoring and emulation forms a cohesive theme throughout.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Detailed illustrations support the text through attractive landscaped scenes. The facial expressions of the characters are especially telling and remarkable.
—School Library Connection
The story of how Pedro Martinez came to achieve that status is inspiring, and author/illustrator Matt Tavares captures it perfectly for younger readers.
—from Kendal Rautzhan
The beautiful illustrations complement the narrative and the selection would partner well with other biographies about baseball players, including those by Matt Tavares: Henry Aaron’s Dream and There Goes Ted Williams.
—Literacy Daily
