Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888 [Hardcover]

Ernest L. Thayer (Author), C. F. Payne (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003 | Age Level: 4 and up

The outlook wasn't brilliant

for the Mudville nine that day:

The score stood four to two

with but one inning more to play....

Since 1888 Casey at the Bat has been read and loved by baseball fans around the world. Now Mighty Casey has been brought to life by celebrated illustrator C. F. Payne, who captures the old-fashioned fun of an afternoon at the ballpark for a brand-new generation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Adorning this classic sports epic, Moser's characteristically expressive paintings were modeled on historical photographs and drawings of former baseball greats. All ages.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-Payne's caricatures, rendered in a mix of acrylics, watercolor, ink, oils, and colored pencils, are a marvel of texture and personality. Casey himself is the picture of pride-massive upper body, toothpick ankles, rosy cheeks, enormous sideburns, and a handlebar mustache. He's the essence of nonchalance as he steps up to the plate, acknowledging his adoring fans. Payne alternates panoramic spreads with single scenes facing a white page comprised of a stanza and visual detail. At the climax, an extreme close-up of "mighty Casey," smoke coming out of his ears and gums glistening, is followed by a two-page cyclone of empty air consuming the batter. Notes about Thayer and the poem complete the offering. Christopher Bing's version (Handprint, 2000), with its scrapbook setting, provides an elegant window to a distant event. Patricia Polacco's Casey at the Bat (PaperStar, 1997), with its youthful framing story, creates sympathy for and accessibility to a sandlot tragedy. Payne's version brings its own flavor to the classic poem. While the staging details evoke the past effectively, the humor and drama elicit immediate interest. Make room in your lineup for this one.
Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689854943
• ISBN-13: 978-0689854941
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #211,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Humorous

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Casey Strikes Out; Polacco Hits a Homer!, June 18, 2000

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Casey at the Bat (Mass Market Paperback)

Thayer's classic ballad, `Casey at the Bat,' is greatly enhanced by Patricia Polacco's brilliantly achieved, big-hearted illustrations. Ms. Polacco captures emotion, action, and character through wittily exaggerated, slightly loopy pictures, and through lots of uncrowded background shenanigans. It's very cinematic: She effectively isolates action through extreme close-ups, and extends time through a montage of events occurring within a single picture. Like the auteur she is, she even adds some opening and closing story elements (while leaving the poem intact) that augment the poem's appeal to the younger reader.

This book is simply great fun to read aloud; you'll find yourself wanting to memorize its evocative imagery and epic aspirations:

"Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongue applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip."

You and your youngsters will love the humor and the drama in this a classic rendition of Thayer's beloved poem. Infants and toddlers will enjoy the bright pictures, and all readers will appreciate the perfect teaming of Thayer and Polacco.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a beautiful version of this classic poem., April 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Casey at the Bat (Paperback)

This is a beautifully illustrated version of this 1888 classic ballad about baseball. The beautiful watercolor illustrations for this centennial edition were rendered from historic photographs and drawings from the archives of the National Baseball Library in Cooperstown, New York. Finally, an illustrated versions whose pictures match the beauty of the language of this timeless ballad. Young and old, lovers of baseball and language will all cherish this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Casey at the Bat Book Review, February 26, 2002

By 

Alison VanWasshnova (Kalamazoo) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Casey at the Bat (Mass Market Paperback)

I thought this was a wonderful book. I enjoyed Thayers use of poetry to exrpress the emotion in the story. The language used in the text is of very high quality and when read by an adult to a child, the child is able to thourghly understand. The illustrations play an important role with the text. They not only enrich the text, but they tell a story in itself. We can feel the emotion of the players and the crowd through Polacco's work. Overall I thought this was a wonderful book and reccomend it to a child of any age.