CASEY BACK AT BAT

Back in 1888, Mighty Casey struck out and left Mudville joyless. But now he finally has another “at bat.” This time he actually hits the ball over the wall, and oh boy, does it travel. It hits that tower in Pisa and makes it lean, and then wreaks further havoc around the globe. It even crashes the time barrier and scares the dinosaurs into extinction, heading back to earth after a quick visit with some astronauts. Meanwhile, back at the ballpark, Casey is basking in the glory of his monumental home run—or not. For here comes the ball, streaking right into the shortstop’s glove. Gutman pulls out all the stops, piling absurdity upon absurdity. The verse moves briskly, lightly mimicking the original, but with a nod to modern syntax. Johnson and Fancher’s paintings are remarkable. Each illustration perfectly matches the text, imaginatively distorting perspective to enhance the larger-than-life events. Look more closely and find that underlying the scenes are subtle newsprint or graphic designs that add texture and mystery. Sheer delight. (Picture book. 5-10)