Some of Manteca’s murals grace the pages of “Large Art in Small Paces: Discovering the California Mural Towns” authored by Kevin Bruce.

It was published in 2009 and is available from Amazon for $24.95.

Manteca is included on the Central Valley Mural Route that also encompasses Kingsburg, Lemoore, Tulare, Exeter, Lindsay and Porterville.

A description of the book follows:

“In the 1930s, film star (and part Cherokee) Will Rogers would come to Bishop, California, and buy the Native American children ice cream at the local pharmacy soda fountain, at a time when they weren't allowed inside. Today, a mural on the town's modern-day pharmacy commemorates that moment — huge pink ice cream cones and all. The small towns of California are filled with such murals, capturing moments of local color, cultural significance, natural beauty, and imaginative whimsy. This book is your key to going off the beaten path and discovering these hidden gems of public art for yourself.
 
“’Large Art in Small Places’ SMALL PLACES features more than 250 contemporary murals by noted muralists and local artistic collectives alike, including the trompe l'oeil narrative illusions of John Pugh, the larger-than-life epic masterpieces of Wei Luan, the expressive portraits of Don Gray, and the dramatic historic tableaus of Art Mortimer. Part art book and part travel guide, “Large Art in Small Places” takes mural aficionados, local history lovers, armchair travelers, and weekend roadtrippers on an unforgettable tour of quaint, quirky, and colorful small-town California.”