It’s women’s history month and we would be heading into the baseball season if this were a normal year. Mamie on the Mound: A woman in Baseball’s Negro Leagues by Leah Henderson is just the right book.

It tells the story of the first female pitcher in professional baseball. Mamie Johnson learned the game as a girl. She played throughout her childhood and young adulthood. She even integrated a little league team when she made it onto an all-white, all-boys’ team in New Jersey.

But Mamie knew she had strikes against her. She was a woman. And she was black.

After Jackie Robinson integrated Major League Baseball, many Negro League players moved into the Major League. The Negro League was looking for players and publicity. So they hired Mamie and other female players.

I love how the book traces Mamie’s passion for baseball. It also traces the opposition she faced. Opposition because she was female. Opposition because she was black. Opposition because she was short.

The portraits by George Doutsiopoulos in the illustrations are luminous. It’s a fun book to look at.

And a perfect read for this time of year.

If you’re looking for extra resources for kids stuck at home:

Leah Henderson talks about herself here.

You can see digitized archival photos and text from the Negro league here.

Mamie on the Mound: A Woman in Baseball’s Negro Leagues by Leah Henderson, illustrated by George Doutsipoulos (Capstone Editions: 2020).