Bats at the Ballgame (A Bat Book) Hardcover – Picture Book, September 6, 2010

Both the bats at the library and the bats at the beach books were very relatable to all the kids we read them too. However, the bats at the ballgame book just did not connect. In our area, the local baseball franchise bought their own TV station so you have to pay extra with a cable company in order to see any baseball games. Thus, most of the people in our area no longer watch baseball, even my own children do not get to see baseball unless its the World Series with our local team in it because that is the only time baseball is on the regular stations. Because none of the kids watch baseball or go to baseball games, they could not relate at all to the flow or play of the story. Sadly, baseball will stop being the American pastime when regular people have no access to it. HOWEVER, this is a great baseball book for those of you like myself who love the game and have fond memories of sharing baseball with family members.

This book is fantastic, and it matters not one bit whether you (or your chIldren) like baseball...Brian Lies creates the most beautiful illustrations! and with them a terrific story. these bats are so JOYFUL, in every one of the series they're out doing something they love. And at thirty pages, with between two and eight lines per page, there's quite a lot of story here. My favorite thing about this book, and all of the Bats series, is the very skilled use of rhyme and meter. He seems to choose two different rhythms to alternate between while telling the tale, and it's always a catchy rhythm and flawless rhyme. there are sooooo many picture books out there which have to reach so far for the rhyme that the whole thing is forced and awkward. Brian Lies is a refreshing change. Here are a couple of samples, you'll see why these verses are a pleasure to read aloud:How could any bat forgetin all the countless years we've metit seems the team we play tonighthas beaten us in every fight.We shake our feet and raise our wingsIn voices high and strongtogether, all the fans belt outthe famous bat-ball songLook for the bat-related visual jokes as well...for example, the printed sign on the fence advertises garlic fries and bratwurst...and someone has apparently crossed out and changed it to garlic FLIES and GNATwurst. Clever!

This cute book is a homer! (Get it!!?! Hehe) the illustrations are a bit dark in color since it takes place at night and all, but the details are wonderful right down to how things are upside down. This book keeps a lot of parallels with the attractions of attending a real baseball game including mentioning the vendors selling treats and an ump yelling "out!" The only difference is the players and fans are bats. The book is a slightly longer picture book but my kiddo enjoyed it by the time she was two. This is a well written gem. I'm a fan of this "bats at" series of books, but this is one of the best of them in my humble opinion. I even chose to buy this as a gift for a nephew and would definitely recommend it to other tiny sports fanatics. Basically the bats wait for nightfall to sneak into the ballpark and play a thrilling game of ball, finishing up just in time to get back home before daybreak.

Brian Lies is one of our most inventive children's book authors.He not only dreams up each saga, but conveys it in lively poetic form, with irresistible images.Brian is doing for bats what Jacques Yves Cousteau did for the undersea world - bringing to mind the beauty, meaning, and right to live of these creatures, for children and the adults who read with them.Brian's subtle puns and games and puzzles draw the eye, heart and merriment of the reader, even one who has turned these pages many times.All three (Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Libray, Bats at the Ballgame) are visually endearing, opening eyes and minds to the worth of creatures all too often maligned. All three of Brian's bat books are simply unforgettable.

This book was bought for my five year old Grandson.I must confess we have Bats at the Library, & Bats at the Beach too. These are his favorite books of all the books we own. He loves the Bats at the Ballgame & especially when we get to the 7th inning & I sing him the song Take me out to the ballgame. His favorite of all is Bats at the Beach. We have read it so many times that he can read some parts alone. Again the song at the back of the book is his favorite. I sing the lines & he sings the refrain "Going into hibernation" at the top of his lungs!I would recommend these books to everyone.

These books are fun to read! Kids and adults will love it!

I bought this after being REQUIRED (by my 5 year old granddaughter) to read Bats at the Beach EVERY time I read to her! I still LOVE the Beach one best, but this and the Library are great, too! The rhyming language is beautifully fluent and the illustrations wonderful. The bats are realistic enough to not look cartoon like, but not at all scary, either. There are clever little changes (like "Cricket Jacks" in place of "Cracker Jacks") that appeal to both children and adults. I highly recommend these books for fun, enjoyable repeated reading, and the possibility of lots of reality/fantasy discussion if that appeals. (I am a speech/language pathologist). ENJOY!

My 7 yo son loves these books, I think they are alright, but I guess they were not written for a 30 something year old woman...LOL, so four stars it is!

GREAT

Not as good as Bats at the Beach... Granted it's hard to top Bats at the Beach. The rhymes were less cohesive.

My kids loved the baseball references and amazing illustrations in this book!