Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
Gutman has taken off from Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s classic “Casey at the Bat” to reach an amusing, equally engrossing companion rhyme with a surprising, contrasting conclusion. We’re back in Mudville for the final game of the season to determine the championship. Casey has another chance to win the game in the final inning, up at bat with two out and two on base. Suspense builds with two strikes on Casey. This time he hits the ball so hard it goes over the wall. We can then follow it around the world, back in time and into outer space, leaving its mark as it goes. Then we reach the shocking ending. Scenes combine solid page design with comic touches, as the ball breaks the nose on the Sphinx, or tilts the Leaning Tower of Pisa, even frightens some dinosaurs into extinction. The naturalistic characters are painted on washed-out newspaper, still legible enough to read bits of columns and old advertisements related to the action in the scene. The visuals add significantly to the light-hearted narration. 2007, HarperCollins Publishers, $16.99. Ages 4 to 9.

Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature)
Baseball fans, here it is: a second chance for Casey, whose strikeout ended the season and left no joy in Mudville. Now it is the next year. It is the last game of the season and Mudville is playing Rutland for first place. This time when Casey comes up to bat he hits the ball so hard it soars out of the ballpark. Has Casey redeemed himself? A clue is given on the first page in the following: “Well, if you think that tale was sad, sit down, let’s have a chat.” Gutman’s fun-filled parody will have young readers on the edge of their seats rooting for Casey’s success. As the ball flies around the world, it picks up speed and thereby offers explanations for the leaning tower of Pisa and the extinction of the dinosaurs, among other things. The text, which begs to be read aloud, is accompanied by distinguished illustrations of a strong-jawed Casey, and newspaper collage uniforms for the ballplayers and astronauts (you will just have to read the book to see where they fit in). The ballgame is illustrated from many interesting angles. This is certain to stretch the imagination while eliciting lots of laughter. Children familiar with Casey at the Bat will appreciate it the most. Middle school and high school teachers can use the two together to discuss “parody” with their students. This is a fantasy that is perfect for opening day, the end of the season, and anytime in between. It is fun for everyone….except mighty Casey. 2007, HarperCollins, $16.99. Ages 6 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 1))
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. 2007, HarperCollins, 32p, $16.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 5 to 10. Starred Review. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Laura Sweinhart (Kutztown Book Review, Fall 2007)
Dan Gutman tries to right Casey of Mudville's wrong in his sequel to Ernest Lawrence Thayer's Casey at the Bat. This is a baseball thriller. The reader will be surprised to learn of the outcome of Casey's great hit. Humor is generated as the balls travels past the Eiffel Tower and Great Pyramids. This is a delightful piece of literature. As the ball travels through time and space, it will introduce the reader to a variety of concepts. The story tone mimics the original Casey at the Bat. The ending has a surprise twist. I recommend you add Casey Back at the Bat to your Dan Gutman collection. Category: Picture Book. 2007, Harper Collins, $16.99. Ages 5 to 10.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2007)
It's a new season for the Mudville nine, and a chance for mighty Casey to redeem himself. Casey belts the ball so hard it travels through space and time. But the ball eventually returns to Earth where it plops into the opposing shortstop's glove. Gutman's clever mock-heroic ballad finds partnership in Johnson and Fancher's collage illustrations that evoke a bygone era. Category: Picture Books. 2007, HarperCollins, 32pp, 16.99, 17.89. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Wilma Lee (The Lorgnette-Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 20, No. 1))
Casey is stepping up to bat, and all of Mudville is hoping he will right his wrong that left Mudville in a state of gloom. He does get a second chance, and this time hits the ball out of the ballpark. The readers are introduced to places all over the world and then encounter a surprise ending. The illustrations bring the game to life in paintings. Fiction. Grades 2-4. 2007, HarperCollins, Unpaged., $16.99. Ages 7 to 10.