The Story of Manny Being Manny, by Todd Balf

BOSTON – The Story of Manny Being Manny: A Children’s Story, new from Joga Press, captures the spirit and the lovable essence of Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez for young children and their Red Sox Nation parents alike. Beautifully illustrated and told with a mixture of bemusement and true fondness, The Story of Manny Being Manny recalls off-beat tales from his past – Everyone likes the Green Monster/Manny did too/He found a little door/And walked right through – and encourages readers of all ages to appreciate how boring life would be without Manny around.

Author Todd Balf, 44, is a longtime magazine writer and a NY Times best selling author whose books The Last River and The Darkest Jungle have been critically acclaimed in Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and numerous other publications. Entertainment Weekly named his first book, The Last River, a top 10 non fiction book of the year in 2000.

Illustrator Oliver Balf, 78, is a founding faculty member and professor emeritus at Montserrat Art College, a recent nominee for the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a renowned fine artist whose 60 year career has included numerous one man shows in top Boston galleries.

Neither Todd nor Oliver’s career had included anything in the children’s book genre until the current project. Though their father-son relationship might explain their interest in working together, their Massachusetts roots and lifelong affection for the Red Sox best explains why they chose Manny Being Manny as their inaugural collaboration.