Casey at the Bat

Thayer, Ernest Lawrence

ISBN 10: 0817221212 ISBN 13: 9780817221218

Publisher: Heinemann/Raintree, 1984

Synopsis

A narrative poem about a celebrated baseball player who strikes out at the crucial moment of a game.

About this title

About the Author:

Patricia Polacco is the prolific author and illustrator of over fifty picture books, and has received over 75 awards and honors for her work. She is also an energetic and enthusiastic public speaker--she visits over 100 classrooms every year. She lives in Union City, Michigan.

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Heinemann/Raintree
• Publication date: 1984
• ISBN 10: 0817221212
• ISBN 13: 9780817221218
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 31