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 Growing Up Pedro written and illustrated by Matt Tavares 2016 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, Honor Book 2016 ALA Notable Book 2015 Junior Library Guild Selection 2016 Americas Award, Honorable Mention 2016 Massachusetts Book Award, Honor Book 2015 Lupine Honor Award 2016 International Latino Book Awards: Best Children's Nonfiction Picture Book, 1st place Best Children's Picture Book Translation- English to Spanish, 2nd place 2016-2017 Maine Student Book Award list 2017 Rhode Island Children's Book Award list Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2015 2016 Massachusetts Great Read, National Book Festival 2015 Nerdy Book Award Huffington Post Best Picture Books of 2015 Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year, 2016 CCBC Choices, 2016 2016-2017 Virginia Readers' Choice Award list 2015-2016 Alabama Camellia Award list 2016 Skipping Stones Book Award All the Wonders Best Nonfiction Picture Books of 2015 2015 Scholastic 50 Best Books for Summer The Society of Illustrators, "The Original Art 2015" exhibit Original artwork selected for "The Original Art 2015", traveling exhibition Now available, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or an independent bookstore near you. Signed prints available in my online store.   Online resources for Growing Up Pedro: Download a free teachers guide. Q and A with Chad Finn of Boston.com, on the Touching All the Bases blog. Here's an interview I did with the Smart Books for Smart Kids blog. And this one I did with Sports Illustrated Kids. I chatted with Rob Caldwell about Growing Up Pedro on 207. The Yarn Podcast: Growing Up Pedro, Unravelled Growing Up Pedro, Behind the Scenes in the Dominican Republic Growing Up Pedro, Behind the Scenes: Illustrating Page One |
  Before
Pedro Martinez was elected to the Baseball Hall of
Fame, before he pitched the Red Sox to a World
Series
Championship, before he was named to the All-Star
team
eight times and won the Cy Young Award 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 dreamed of the day he and
his brother could play together in the major
leagues.
This is the
story of how that dream came true. Matt Tavares
has crafted a fitting homage to a modern-day
baseball
star that examines both his 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.... A wonderful introduction to a truly special player." *School Library Journal (starred review) "Tavares's luminous paintings pair with accessible prose arranged into verse-like passages to create a vivid portrait of two contemporary athletes." -Publishers Weekly "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." -The Horn Book "A must own picture book biography" -Colby Sharp, Sharpread blog "Growing Up Pedro is excellent! Stunning artwork, layout, design and narrative." -Librarian's Quest blog "More than a book about baseball, it is a story about brotherhood, determination, overcoming obstacles, and dreams come true." -Sports Illustrated Kids "The paintings that illustrate the text- both precise and soft- capture the texture of life in the Dominican Republic, but also manage to evoke the iconic images of Pedro on the mound..." -The Boston Globe "Matt Tavares' meticulous and beautifully-wrought illustrations beckon the reader to slow down and take in the details." -Reederama "It's not just a story of baseball and brotherhood, but one of hard work, hometown pride, self-confidence and determination. Given that this book has done what I could not -- it helped my kids appreciate Pedro, and on a level beyond his accomplishments -- I cannot recommend it enough." -Chad Finn, Boston.com "It's a sweet family story;... Matt Tavares has imbued it with a warmth and hopefulness and, by showing the early makings of a baseball legend, he makes it much more than just another profile of a Hall of Famer." -The Daily Beast "Matt Tavares's illustrations command attention. The soft colors of his landscapes suggest sunshine diffused by tropical humidity. Mountains draped in lush vegetation fill the backdrops of the Dominican scenes. In the second part of the story, Pedro's world switches to baseball stadiums packed with cheering fans, dressed in Red Sox team colors. One powerful illustration zooms in on Martinez's face as he stands at the pitcher's mound. His eyes contain supreme focus and reflect years of devotion to his sport." -Latin@s in Kidlit |
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