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

Canadians. Is there anything they can't do? The publishing house of Kids Can Press has given the world all sorts of interesting titles, but perhaps none so interesting as those from KCP Poetry, a small poetry-laden division. Reinterpreting classic poems like "The Lady of Shalott" and "The Highwayman", someone along the way must have suggested "Casey At the Bat". But not in an old-timey handlebar moustached way. More of an inner city struggle to leave the streets behind kind of way. It doesn't sound very good, does it? I personally found it a tepid idea at best. The crazy thing is, it works. Works like gangbusters. I never really realized it, but Thayer's poem is remarkably elastic, allowing it all kinds of interesting interpretations. Take into account the beautiful binding and you've got yourself a classic work of poetry that's been reinterpreted by artist Joe Morse into an entirely original beast. Do I really have to summarize it? The story's exactly as we've always known it. Heck, my own father has it memorized. "The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville Nine that day". Mudville is down and unless Casey can get to bat everything shall truly be lost. Fortunately Flynn and Jimmy Blake manage to get on base and Casey's up. He's up and he's hot. Heck, he even misses the first two balls for the fun of it. Then the moment comes, everyone's ready, and Casey swings like he's never swung before. "But there is no joy in Mudville - Mighty Casey has struck out". The last shot is of a dejected Casey, brought to his knees, the stands around him abandoned. In my travels around New York, the Bronx, and Brooklyn I've never stumbled across an inner city baseball game. But in the conteest of this story, it works and I'm sure that there are some somewhere. Now the illustrations themselves are not my style, but this isn't to say that they aren't well done. First of all, you have to respect an artist who paints outside in a gas mask because his materials are so very very toxic. THAT is dedication, ladies and gentlemen. The oil and acrylic used on the paper gives Joe Morse's black a blueish tinge. Figures are exaggerated for the sake of the narrative. The pages are even occasionally split into comic book panels to sometimes allow the story the feel of a graphic novel. How well the poem adapted to its new setting is sometimes shocking. When we read that, "From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar", we wonder how else it could be taken. Ditto the surreal moment when we learn that two other ballplayers, the much maligned Flynn and Jimmy Blake are, respectively, a hoodoo and a cake. The words "hoodoo" and "cake" are written in graffiti under their headshots, giving these once archaic terms a kind of contemporary cache. Rarely have I ever read a children's book that praised its own illustrator so highly at the story's end, by the way. Here's a bit of it: "More's images paint a compelling portrait of human nat

Rebeccasreads highly recommends this Visions in Poetry version of the beloved poem vividly & thrillingly illustrated by Joe Morse. This time we see a youth, lean & tall, with earphones attached to his CD player, watching an urban baseball game & the fans as the poem, set in cartoon clouds, plays out, just as the game does. This is for everyone who loves baseball & the poem, which will, in its turn, become a classic.

This is by far the best rendition/publication of this poem that I've ever seen. The combination of the real-life looking people, but have their legs look like pencils, is quite humerous. Our particular favorite is the smoke coming from Casey's ears when he has struck out twice. The pictures in this book greatly enhance the story. Especially when Casey is standing there examining his fingernails on the first strike. Pretty cute and funny stuff. Grab this book for all the young ball players you know - it really tells a nice tale of always doing your best, no matter how good you get at whatever you do. It made my little guy pretty sad to read this book/poem, but it definitely opens the door to emphasizing the importance of always doing your best. Highly recommend!

Originally submitted to a newspaper in 1883, Ernest Lawrence Thayer's poem "Casey at the Bat" has become an American classic. In essence, it is baseball's equivalent version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." "Casey at the Bat" has become a part of pop culture, and is still one of the most talked about stories of all time. Christopher Bing takes the wonderful classic, and adds in some amazing illustrations to make for a fantastic children's book. Presenting the poem with a myriad of sepia toned images is exceptional and eye catchy. The book reads like a scrapbook, with amazing-looking old newspaper clippings that reflect the times of the story. There are also pictures of old currency and replica baseball tickets to give it a more complete feel. The book is put together quite nicely. Again, the illustrations are perfect, and the scrapbook appearance gives it a genuine look of something that you will want to treasure with your children. This is a classic poem that every person should have the benefit of hearing. Christopher Bing's version is the best I've ever seen, and is a must for any family with children. There will be plenty of joy in your home with this book.

In Casey at the Bat: A Balland of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888, Christopher Bing takes this oft-told base ball tale to a new level. Casey becomes a real batter in this richly illustrated version of Thayer's poem. 1880s base ball artifacts and photographs blend the real with the imaginary. Careful research done with the help of Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) members makes the Mudville nine come to life. Bing's oversized line drawings delight child and parent alike.