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Book Cover for: Randy Riley's Really Big Hit, Chris Van Dusen

Randy Riley's Really Big Hit

Chris Van Dusen

"With all the bases covered -- musical text, entertaining artwork, and surefire subject matter -- this title bats 1,000 for group or lapsit read-alouds." -- School Library Journal

Randy Riley loves two things: science and baseball. When it comes to the solar system, the constellations, and all things robot, Randy is a genius. But on the baseball diamond? Not so much. Then, one night, Randy sees something shocking through his Space Boy telescope: it's a fireball, and it's headed right for his town! Randy does the math, summons all his science smarts, and devises a plan that will save the day in a spectacular way. Once again, with visual humor, dizzying perspectives, perfect pacing, and rollicking rhyme, Chris Van Dusen delivers a hit that will make readers stand up and cheer.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
  • Publish Date: Mar 22nd, 2016
  • Pages: 32
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 11.10in - 9.50in - 0.20in - 0.40lb
  • EAN: 9780763687748
  • Recommended age: 04-08
  • Categories: Humorous StoriesTechnology - GeneralSports & Recreation - Baseball & Softball

About the Author

Chris Van Dusen is the author-illustrator of King Hugo's Huge Ego and The Circus Ship, and the illustrator of the best-selling Mercy Watson books by Kate DiCamillo. He lives in Maine.

Praise for this book

Van Dusen's tale is inventive and humorous. Randy is a lovably nerdy genius who is admired for his brains and is part of a team that doesn't seem to mind his poor batting average. Gouache paintings use clean crisp lines and sharp, bright colors in a variety of perspectives. Everything from the cars in the driveways to the living-room décor places the events in pre-computer, mid-20th-century America. A cunning twist on the heroic home run that wins the game.
--Kirkus Reviews

With all the bases covered-musical text, entertaining artwork, and surefire subject matter-this title bats 1,000 for group or lapsit read-alouds.
--School Library Journal

Randy may be an easy out with a bat, but his heroism merits a spot at the heart of any budding geek's lineup.
--Booklist

In this retro rhyming tribute to mind over batter, Van Dusen casts a wide net: anyone who's a fan of nerds, "Casey at the Bat," classic science fiction, or mid-century design should find something to like in these eye-popping pages.
--Publishers Weekly

Children will enjoy the adventures of a young boy who used his love of baseball to save the day.
--Library Media Connection

Young Randy Riley has two passions: science and baseball. But he's more of a student than an athlete. As Chris Van Drusen puts it in verse: "See, Randy was a genius;/he just couldn't hit the ball./He struck out every time at bat./He wasn't good at all." But when Randy spies through his "Space Boy telescope" a massive fireball hurling toward Earth, his way with robots saves more than a game. In science fiction, there's more than one way to hit a home run.
--USA Today

Chris Van Dusen's RANDY RILEY'S REALLY BIG HIT won me over at first swing... There's a cool retro feel to this sci-fi rhyming book along with some gloriously comic special effects. It's just scary enough to be a page turner and brings a whole new twist to kids and baseball.
--The Boston Globe

With a nod to "Casey at the Bat," a dash of science geek, and the impending destruction of the earth, RANDY RILEY'S REALLY BIG HIT has something for everyone.
--Huffington Post Parents blog