Don: She Loved Baseball

Recently I finished creating illustrations for the book She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story, written by Audrey Vernick. From from 1936 to 1948, Effa Manley co-owned the Negro League's Newark Eagles with her husband, Abe Manley. She took on the responsibility of managing the team and was known for running one of the best organizations in the league. Under her management, the Newark Eagles won the Negro World Series in 1946.

On and off the field, Effa was a tireless fighter for civil rights. On the field, she worked to improve conditions which resulted in better schedules, travel, and salaries for players. Off the field, she led a successful boycott of Harlem stores that refused to hire African-American clerks. As a result, 300 stores in the area began to hire African-Americans.

In 2006, Effa Manley became the first woman to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. When she died, her tombstone read: SHE LOVED BASEBALL.

Audrey Vernick has told an important story, one that will inspire boys and girls alike. The book will publish sometime next year with HarperCollins.

With permission, here are a few of the images (somewhat distorted by my digital camera):






































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Don is the illustrator of more than 30 trade and educational books for children, including Ron's Big Mission (Dutton, 2009), I Am My Grandpa's Enkelin (Paraclete, 2008), and The Hidden Feast (August House, and Sure As Sunrise (Houghton Mifflin, 2004). His forthcoming titles include She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story (HarperCollins, 2010), and It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Taught Himself to Draw (Lee & Low Books, 2010), in which he is the author.