Casey at the Bat [Paperback]

Ernest L. Thayer (Author), Jim Hull (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Best loved minor classic newly equipped with zany, startling illustrations by Hull. 57 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Penned in 1888, Thayer's classic ballad is still as fresh as a rookie pitcher; it has earned its place in the Read-Aloud Hall of Fame. Though the style is slightly formal and young audiences may not catch every word ("upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat"), no one will miss the gist of the tale. With a few brief strokes of his brush, Fitzgerald captures an era-a hat of a certain style, a pair of glasses, the cut of a suit-and his light-dappled acrylics seem aged by a fine patina. He manipulates perspective to wonderful advantage, bringing a sense of movement to the pages: readers are now in the stands, now at third base, now behind the catcher as the mighty Casey prepares to swing at the ball. A home-run effort. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up Since the birth of the original ballad 100 years ago, the mock despair generated by Thayer's versification has provided minor Aristotelean catharsis for millions of Americans. If ever there were a hero brought to a tragic end by a character flaw, it's Mighty Casey. This is the stuff of myth. But by making her Casey a little leaguer, Polacco has emasculated the power of the legend. Adding on a prologue with a bratty kid sister and an epilogue with a wimpy moral (``counting my hits before they were pitched'') only dilutes the majesty of the poem's final line. Her genuine drawing talent; her inventiveness in creating and arranging groups of caricatures; her ability to depict scenes that are provocatively animated, that utilize a range of viewpoints to produce compelling melodramathese attributes are misplaced here. A cocky adolescent sure isn't one to stimulate the passion of these verses. And part of the fun is the perception of grown-ups taking a game of balls and bats seriously, in the first place. This irony is totally lost too. Polacco, like Casey, has struck out. Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State Univ . , Columbus
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (June 1, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486234614
• ISBN-13: 978-0486234618
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.4 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,907,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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 (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 (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.