Casey Back at Bat
Dan Gutman, Steve Johnson (Illustrator), Lou FancherBooks.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
The mighty Casey is getting what any failed sports hero most desires: a second chance. He's got to prove himself after his last, disastrous game. All eyes are on Casey as he steps up to the plate. Will he finally bring joy to Mudville?
It's a hilarious sequel to Ernest Lawrence Thayer's famous poem "Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic."
Synopsis
The mighty Casey is getting what any failed sports hero most desires: a second chance. He's got to prove himself after his last, disastrous game. All eyes are on Casey as he steps up to the plate. Will he finally bring joy to Mudville?
It's a hilarious sequel to Ernest Lawrence Thayer's famous poem "Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic."
Publishers Weekly
What if the scourge of Mudville had another chance? Gutman (the Baseball Card Adventure series) takes a crack at a sequel to Ernest Lawrence Thayer's Casey at the Bat in his picture book debut. With two outs, two men on base and his team down three runs to one in the final inning of the season's last game, Casey lets two balls go by, and then, a miracle-he hits it out of the park. Indeed, the ball not only travels around the world (it nearly beans a bird, and strikes a certain tower in Pisa) but also goes back in time (past dinos) and into outer space. Unfortunately Gutman's jarring modern phrasings and bumpy rhythms are a far cry from Thayer's comic stylings, (e.g., "In the depths of outer space, an astronaut named Janet/ shrieked, `Eureka! I have found it! I've discovered a new planet!'/ Her partner took a look and told her, "Janet, in your dreams./ I've yet to see a planet sewn together at the seams' "). But Johnson and Fancher (Star Climbing) step up to the plate. With burnished-tone pictures cleverly textured with everything from vintage newspapers to a henna pattern on a pair of Indian rhinos, the artwork fully captures the spirit of the mock epic. Their chiseled-face Casey seems both deserving of vindication and cruising for a bruising. Which one does he end up getting? Suffice to say that once again, there is no joy in Mudville. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
People
“Out of this world.”Publishers Weekly
What if the scourge of Mudville had another chance? Gutman (the Baseball Card Adventure series) takes a crack at a sequel to Ernest Lawrence Thayer's Casey at the Bat in his picture book debut. With two outs, two men on base and his team down three runs to one in the final inning of the season's last game, Casey lets two balls go by, and then, a miracle-he hits it out of the park. Indeed, the ball not only travels around the world (it nearly beans a bird, and strikes a certain tower in Pisa) but also goes back in time (past dinos) and into outer space. Unfortunately Gutman's jarring modern phrasings and bumpy rhythms are a far cry from Thayer's comic stylings, (e.g., "In the depths of outer space, an astronaut named Janet/ shrieked, `Eureka! I have found it! I've discovered a new planet!'/ Her partner took a look and told her, "Janet, in your dreams./ I've yet to see a planet sewn together at the seams' "). But Johnson and Fancher (Star Climbing) step up to the plate. With burnished-tone pictures cleverly textured with everything from vintage newspapers to a henna pattern on a pair of Indian rhinos, the artwork fully captures the spirit of the mock epic. Their chiseled-face Casey seems both deserving of vindication and cruising for a bruising. Which one does he end up getting? Suffice to say that once again, there is no joy in Mudville. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature -
Baseball fans, here it is: a second chance for Casey, whose strikeout ended the season and left no joy in Mudville. Now it is the next year. It is the last game of the season and Mudville is playing Rutland for first place. This time when Casey comes up to bat he hits the ball so hard it soars out of the ballpark. Has Casey redeemed himself? A clue is given on the first page in the following: "Well, if you think that tale was sad, sit down, let's have a chat." Gutman's fun-filled parody will have young readers on the edge of their seats rooting for Casey's success. As the ball flies around the world, it picks up speed and thereby offers explanations for the leaning tower of Pisa and the extinction of the dinosaurs, among other things. The text, which begs to be read aloud, is accompanied by distinguished illustrations of a strong-jawed Casey, and newspaper collage uniforms for the ballplayers and astronauts (you will just have to read the book to see where they fit in). The ballgame is illustrated from many interesting angles. This is certain to stretch the imagination while eliciting lots of laughter. Children familiar with Casey at the Bat will appreciate it the most. Middle school and high school teachers can use the two together to discuss "parody" with their students. This is a fantasy that is perfect for opening day, the end of the season, and anytime in between. It is fun for everyone….except mighty Casey.School Library Journal
K-Gr 4
In this winning picture book, Gutman revisits and updates Thayer's classic baseball poem. This time around (and much to everyone's surprise), Casey hits a fly ball that soars out of the park and keeps on going. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean and has an unfortunate encounter with a tower in Pisa before continuing on to the Sphinx in Egypt. Streaking through time, it passes dinosaurs (and sends them to their ultimate fate) and astronauts before heading back to Earth. The ride is uproarious from start to finish, and Gutman's broadly humorous verse hits all the right notes. This Casey is perfect for his role: smug, dense, and deliciously ripe for his comic send-up. "His arms, his legs, his neck, his lips-his teeth had muscles too./They rippled from his little toe up to his eyes of blue." Johnson and Fancher's paintings have a playfully nostalgic look, with a mix of textured papers and newsprint splashed across the surfaces of uniforms. Though "there's still no joy in Mudville," this is a fun read-aloud, and it will have baseball fans of all ages cheering. Gutman has reaffirmed the appeal of Thayer's classic.
—Marilyn TaniguchiCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.