Module 10, Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy

#1 Bibliographic Information

Bildner, Phil, and Payne, C.F. (2002).  Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy.  New York: Simon and Schuster.

#2 Summary

In this tale, Shoeless Joe, still a minor-league player runs into trouble with his batting average.  He asks his old friend and bat-builder extraordinaire, Charlie Ferguson to build him a bat that will break his slump.  Charlie builds him a beautiful bat of oak, and Joe names her Betsy Ross, after the flag-maker, but still, Shoeless Joe can't swing.  He goes back to Charlie and instructs him to make one of hickory ("my last name's Jackson, just like the seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson.  They called him 'Old Hickory'"), from the north side of tree (the strongest).  Charlie does so, but still, Jackson strikes out.  Back at Ol' Charlie's, Jackson asks him to make her big mean; Charlie builds her to 48 oz. (1 for each of the 48 states) and rubs her in tobacco juice to make her black and scary.  With this, Joe has success, and even makes it to the majors, but soon he's back to where he started--at Ol' Charlie's.  This happens twice, and each time, Charlie tells him to care for the bat; first, to let it sleep in his bed with him, and second, to wrap it in cotton, so it'll feel at home in the North, just like in the South.  Finally, Black Betsy breaks Joe out of his slump for good, and he becomes a legendary ball player, with the best batting average of any rookie in the history of baseball.

#3 Reaction

I love the history of baseball, so I think this book is a cute way to introduce kids to the "magic" of the sport.  I also appreciated that in the afterword, the author includes the story of Shoeless Joe's infamous involvement (never proven) in throwing the 1919 World Series.  It also clarifies that the book is based on Joe's particular care of his bats, but that he did not make it 48 oz. for the number of states (only 46 at the time, anyway).  It gives an overview of the rest of Joe's career, and a summary of his stats.  What a great way to get to know a player; first the story, then the facts.  Also, the illustrations are wonderful near-caricatures, and Joe truly looks like a legend.  

#4 Reviews for Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy

Review #1
Gr 1-5 From the intriguing title to the informative afterword, this picture book will capture the attention of young baseball fans. Told in a folksy, Southern voice, with many of the stylistic elements of a tall tale, it follows Joseph Jefferson Jackson's early-20th-century path between the minor and major leagues. A series of slumps takes him to the door of bat smith Ol' Charlie, who dispenses homespun advice along with his products. The repetition and wry humor of the exchanges between the two superstitious characters pull the legend out of the story. Payne's frequent use of foreshortening highlights the role of Black Betsy (the bat); it also heightens the visual eccentricities of the two friends. The mixed-media illustrations are layered and rich in texture, qualities that add depth and drama. Bildner's bias in favor of his subject is evident in the afterword describing the allegations against Joe and his teammates (a scandal that ended their careers). A page of the hitter's major l eague and World Series statistics concludes the book. This title is in the same league as David A. Adler's fine Lou Gehrig (1997) and Peter Golenbock's important Teammates (1990,both Harcourt).

--Jones, Trevelyn E. (2002).  Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy. School Library Journal, 48(4), 100.

Review #2

Is great hitting in the clean, natural swing of the batter--or the perfectly balanced feel of the bat? As kids know when they start playing baseball, small details must converge just right to overcome the edge between winning and losing, hitting and striking out. Sometimes this translates into superstitions or quirky behavior. First-time author Bildner toes this question in the quirks of Shoeless Joe Jackson and his feared bat, Black Betsy. Joe, who played in the major leagues from 1908 to 1920, does well in the minor leagues, but can't seem to move up without the help of his South Carolina friend, the great bat-maker Charlie Ferguson. While Charlie knows how to make the best bat, it's not hard to decide which needs tweaking more, the bat or Joe's mind so he can finally realize his great potential. From Joe sleeping with the bat to his wrapping it in the cotton of his southern roots, Bildner sticks mostly to the main facts and resists a romanticization of the game. Players who know the perfect, sweeping amalgamation of hand, eye, and sweet spot might expect to hear its dramatic tenor whenJoe cracks the ball with Black Betsy, but this is a story finished by statistics. Payne's (Brave Harriet, p. 944, etc.) mixed-media illustrations are gorgeous: the fuzz is in the flannel and the light is just right. And so are his perspectives, angles, and other compositional choices that make for the right mix of mystery and narrative to draw the reader in. A lengthy synopsis of Joe's entire career and his statistics are appended. (Picture book. 5-8)

--Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy (2001).  Kirkus Reviews, 69(24), 1754.

#5 Suggestion for Library Use

The large colorful illustrations of this book would make it a great part of a baseball display for the summer, and a fantastic read-aloud for storytime.