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Amazon.com Review
Product Description
Hurry up! Come one--come all!
We're off to watch the bats play ball!

You'll never forget your first game: the green so green, the presence of heroes past, and togetherness with family and friends, rooting for the home team.

But you think humans are the only ones who enjoy America's national pastime? Grab your bat--the other kind--and your mitt, and join these captivating bats as they flutter off to watch their all-stars compete. How about a mothdog? Or some Cricket Jack?

In sweeping compositions that transport fans to the rightside-up and upside-down world of bats at play, Brian Lies treats us to a whole new ballgame.

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Amazon Exclusive: The Making of Bats at the Ballgame
(Click on Images to Enlarge)

Creating the Illustrations

An outtake from Brian Lies's sketchbook

The scale model tent used to imagine the bats' ballpark setting

"Entering the Ballpark"--partially completed illustration, some colors and shading roughed in

Detail of previous illustration, adding in the grass

Batball Cards

Bat Ruth

Bill Hairy

McFrog

Grib "Ears" Mothwax

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... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Book!!!
I had read and re-read the "Bats at the Beach" to my children and discovered this addition to the series.The art and text of the book is wonderful and is "A" if not "The" favorite for a good night read.I highly recomend it!!!

A Home Run!
I love Brian Lies!And his latest bat book!I have always loved bats and was thrilled to find Brian Lie's 'Bat Night at the Library' and then 'Bats at the Beach'.My children and I love these stories with their charming illustrations of all the adorable bats, my son especially likes the rhyming text.

Thank you Brian Lies for another wonderful bat book!

Great Series!
The Bat books are fabulous and requested constantly by our five year old.You must read this series!Thanks Amazon for always providing best book recommendations that led me to buy this for my grandchildren.

Brian Lies Is a Fine Artist Masquerading as an Illustrator
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.

Loved It!

Let's just cut to the chase, shall we? I loved the concept, loved the artwork, loved the rhyming verse. This was just pure, feel good fun and I enjoyed every minute of it. More importantly, so did my grandkids. I'm keeping my review short so I can get busy ordering author/illustrator Brian Lies' two previous bat books - Bats at the Beach and Bats at the Library.

Highly recommended!

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (32)

Loved it
I bought this book for my 5 year old grandson.Was sent within shipping date.Excellent condition.He absolutely loved it.My son had to read it to him at least 4X before he went to sleep.He went with this book to the local library and insisted on more books by this author.I promised him I'd buy them all if he couldn't find any.He even took it to kindergarten for his teacher to read to the other children.Kudos to Amazon and the author.

Clever, inspirational, and fine art.
I haven't read a children's book in years, but when I picked this one up, it proved to be instant satisfaction and inspiration.I love the illustrations, from the classic arts and crafts architecture to the lovely little bats.The journey through this book is very creative.It set a rhythm and rhyme in my head and in the morning I woke up with a start of a poem of my own.In one week I managed to polish up two poems after a lifetime of sequestered words.I encourage every parent and child to read, read, read.And hopefully it will inspire like it did for me.

Bravo to Brian!

Wonderful book!
Beautiful, detailed illustrations accompany rhyming text in this adorable story of bats who excitedly visit the library to explore books, a computer, a photocopier, and an overhead projector at a classic old building.The bats are full of expression and the pages contain hidden references to popular children's stories, making this a book parents will want to take back to their room and study after kids have gone to sleep.

delightful story, bats are not just for Halloween
This is a delightful story for beginner readers or for parents to read to their young children. The bats are not spooky, or scary. This is not a Halloween story. The bats show human characteristics, which can be forgiven as this adds to the charm of the book and helps children feel comfortable with the animals. Children should be taught that bats are wild animals. However,this book goes a long way to dispel much misinformation about bats, such as they are ugly, dirty, disease carrying vermin.
Many of my favorite childhood books are depicted in the wonderful illustrations. Here is another opportunity for parents to entice their children to read and to teach the importance of reading.

Caldecott contender
The illustrations are so charming in this book, that I would not have been surprised to see the Silver Caldecott medal stamped on the front.My kids and I adore this book.The verse is fun and easy to follow, but it is the incredible artistic talent of Brian Lies that shines in this book.My favorite pages have illustrations from other well-known stories, but all "batted up."Like Peter Rab-bat, etc.I whole-heartedly recommend it! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (56)

Creative Title
Thanks for this great work of imagination.I loved the personification of the bats at night.Such mystery for a child & fun for adults to read to them!Loved, loved, loved it!

Bat Doll?
I purchased this to accompany the book, Bats at the Beach, when I read to my almost 4yr old granddaughter.She loves them both, and the doll is never far from her.Well made, big enough not to lose in the pile of other toys, and matches the book illustrations.

Great book
The story line and illustrations are really cute.It hasn't kept my 2 1/2 year old's attention yet, but it is sure to be a favorite of hers soon.

bats/beach
i luved this book soooo much, i hunted down 'bats at the library' too.
luv the artist luv the writing.

"Don't forget the moon-tan lotion!"
My 4-year-old and I enjoy the two bat books by Brian Lies. They are filled with fun, rhyming verse and gorgeous, life-like, whimsical illustrations that will have little ones and older kids [and yes, even adults] squealing out loud with glee.

In "Bats at the Beach", the bat clan goes off on a moonlit adventure to the beach where they promptly proceed to rub themselves with moon-tan lotion, and set out a feast that will delight batty senses! The illustrations and verse go together so well in capturing all the fun on the beach, right down to the vivid illustration of marshmallows and insects being toasted!

This is a book that will delight both young and older readers, and is also a great picture book, perfect for read-alouds. ... Read more

Product Description

Meet a real batwoman, Discover why bats are mammals, Find out what bats like to eat & Learn more than forty fun facts about these winged animals

Level 3 – includes varied sentence structure and paragraphs, challenging vocabulary presented in a clear context, and detailed diagrams, captions, fact boxes, interviews with experts.

Special features include How Big?, Take a Close Look, Did You Know?, Words to Know, Fun Facts and 27 full color photographs, as well as a full page, labeled diagram showing body parts.

Ages 6+

Customer Reviews (3)

Bats
I am very impressed with the "Time For Kids" series.I like how they bring non-fiction information to young children at a level that is appropriate for them to understand.The photos are great and they cover a wide variety of topics.I bought a whole variety of them for my classroom.

Bats
This is a great beginners book.I purchased it for my five year old granddaughter.She loves it.

Time for Kids - Bats
I purchased this book for my first grade classroom.We do a unit of study on the elements of a non-fiction text.The Time for Kids books are wonderful for this unit.They have terrific pictures (which the kids love), and many elements of a non-fiction text, such as labeling, comparisions, captions, glossary, types of print, etc.I would highly recommend this book - really all of the time for kids books - to those looking for appropriate non-fiction books for a first grade classroom.The level 1 and 2 books are most appropriate. ... Read more

Product Description
What won't this old lady swallow? This time around, a bat, an owl, a cat, a ghost, a goblin, some bones, and a wizard are all on the menu! This Halloween-themed twist on the classic "little old lady" books will delight and entertain all brave readers who dare to read it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Kids Just love This Stuff!
Kids just love this stuff and the halloween theme makes it more entertaining during this time.There was an old lady who could swallow just about anything I believe.Even a wizard!

Book review
THIS BOOK IS REALLY CUTE AND ALWAYS GETS A GOOD LAUGH OUT OF MY DAUGHTER AS WE READ IT TOGETHER. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT IS VERY INTERACTIVE AND IMAGINATIVE.

From the back of the book . . . .
You won't believe why the old lady swallowed
a bat
an owl
a cat
a ghost
a goblin
some bones
and
a wizard!
Read this book to find out.

She swallowed . . .
This is a fun story.I teach kindergarten and I love books that are repetitive and have rhythm.The children wanted this story read several times.

Great Halloween version of an old favorite!
This is a funny and easy-to-read picture book with hilarious illustrations, perfect for the 3-6 year-old in your life.My son and I read this together at least 10 times, and he still remembers it fondly.The one to two sentences per page read with an easy cadence that makes the book flow, very like the original Old Lady story.Great Halloween reading! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Fascinating, loved it!!
Who knew that animal's were capable of such amazing feats.This book blew my mind, all of the animal behavior related to similar states in us humans.Some of it was hilarious - like lizards that do push-ups to impress mates - sure I can relate to that.As a teacher and educator, I found aspects of animal cognition really interesting.How can monarch butterflies use magnetic fields to navigate ... well I won't spoil it, you'll just have to read it.I'm even incorporating sections into my lesson plans so my students can benefit from understanding the animals around them in new ways - and hopefully themselves in new ways too. Great stuff! ... Read more

Product Description
Bats fly into the spotlight in this exploration of such basics as where the live, how mothers raise their pups, and how they hunt for food. Included as well is a simple plan for a building a backyard bat house.

1995 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)
Best Children's Science Books 1995 (Science Books and Films) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Batty good
Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
Another good science and nature book for kids. Mine is 5 and this is written at his understanding level. Nice drawings, good information. I don't think you can beat the "Let's read and find out science" books. So far every one we have is well written and has good drawings to go with the text. As usual there are things i didn't know about bats that I learned from this book. Did you know they can catch bugs with their wings and scoop them into their mouth? well, I didn't. There is a set of drawing to demonstrate this and it helped my son visualize what he was hearing. Great combo.

Good for ANY age!!!
Got it for my older brother (wont say how old):)000 We both enjoyed it, learned a lot. Got it to get free shipping well worth it. When ever my brother gets tried of the book he'll give it to someone who needs to learn just how important Bats are!!!

Excellent nonfiction
This is a very readable children's book about bats.It helps to dispel some of those nasty myths about our only flying mammal that seem to persist.I use this book as part of my unit on bats that I teach in my second grade classroom.A twin text that I also use is Stellaluna.Pairing fiction and nonfiction works very well with young children.Zipping... is very informative and a very good resource for exposing children to needed symbiosis of man and nature.I will be building a bat house with ny students as a follow up.Think about this book the next time you find yourself swatting at a pesky mosquito.

A Fabulous Book
Have you ever wanted to learn about bats?Well, I did.So after readingAnne Earle's fabulous book, Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats, I learned that bats are innocuous, useful and interesting mammals.Let me tell you what I have assimilated.
Bats are considered nefarious by many people but they are actually very timid and friendly.Bats are also considered good luck in China.Many emperors like to have illustrations of bats on their possessions in order to bring them serendipity.Some kids in Midfield, Alabama even formed a club called B.A.T. which is an acronym for Bats Are Terrific.The purpose of the club is to inform people how harmless and useful bats are to people.
Speaking of usefulness, let me illustrate how bats are helpful to humans.Since bats are insectivores (eat only insects), they prey on bugs that bother humans like the menacing mosquito.Bats at Bracken Cave, near San Antonio, Texas, eat approximately 500,000 lbs. of insects a night!That is equal to 250 tons!!That is useful because those insects could have obliterated farmers' crops and people's plants.Also, bats help humans by pollinating flowers and allowing the fruit to grow.
Bats are interesting too!Most bats use echolocation.This is when the bat finds the location of an object or prey by sending out sound waves and listening for the echo.There is at least one bat that does not use echolocation.It is the California Leaf-nosed bat.This bat listens for the insect's footsteps or wing beats to find its meal.Another interesting detail about bats is that they are expert fliers.These mammals also use their wings to catch a scrumptious refection.The prey gets caught in the bat's wing membrane and the bat flips it onto its stomach and then gobbles it up.Next, bats hang upside down in caves, under viaducts, and some attics.They use their talons to get a grip of the ceiling.While hanging upside down, they may choose to sleep or groom themselves.Bats keep themselves as clean as cats by using their tongues to keep themselves immaculate.The last interesting detail that you may want to know is that some spelunkers accidentally kill bats by waking them during their hibernation.When the cave explores wake up the bats, the bats have to use a copious amount of fat to find a new resting spot.Now they won't have enough stored up food (or fat) to make it until spring.
Now that you have read my report about Anne Earle's fabulous book, Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats, I hope you have learned that bats are innocuous, useful and interesting.

Interesting, fun and educational
I love this book and so do my 5 year old son and 7 year old daughter.It is filled with great pictures of bats and all kinds of bat facts.It lets you know that bats are nothing to fear and even shows you how to make a bat house in the back of the book.Did you know that bats are the only flying animals that nurse their young?Bat "pups" hang together in large groups called nurseries and each mother returns at least twice during the night to feed her little pup.Did you know that there is a bat in Australia that has a six foot wing span?I didn't until I read this book...don't worry they eat fruit!I liked bats before...now I like them even more. ... Read more

Product Description
Their amazing abilities and how they fit into the natural world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Book!
This past halloween, my 4 yr. old was learning about bats at pre-school, so we went to the library and checked this book out.He was so disappointed when we returned it, that I had to buy it for him.My 7 yr.old son enjoyed it as well. This book balances accessible written information just right with detailed drawings of a wide variety of bats. If your pre-schooler to grade 3 child is interested in bats, this is a good buy.

WONDERFUL illustrations - narrative "just right"
What an OUTSTANDING book!!We like Gail Gibbons but often find her books a bit wordy for our newly 3-year old.It's not a problem to just talk about the photos or edit narrative for the age of the child, of course, but the perfect balance of this book, BATS, is what makes it such a fabulous find.The illustrations are both realistic and varied, and the narrative strikes the perfect balance between presentation of interesting and relevant fact, and length of text.Our daughter loves bats and this was a perfect book for our family.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!In our opinion, approx. age range 2.5 - 8 years.

A great introduction for young naturalists.
Bats examines different kinds of bats, their abilities, and how bats fit into the world, providing whimsical yet accurate drawings of bats to accompany the basic facts of their world-wide distribution and naturalhistory. No photos, but the coverage is wider-ranging than many. ... Read more

Product Description
They live in spooky caves, in forests, even in the dark reaches of ordinary attics and bridges. They flock by the hundreds, and they sleep while hanging upside down! In this beautifully photographed Level 2 reader, kids learn about one of the most interesting creatures around—and discover the bat’s unique place in the wild and in the world. The high-interest topic, expertly written text, and bonus learning activity lay the groundwork for a successful and rewarding reading experience. ... Read more

Product Description

The Bat Jamboree was held early this year, at the old drive-in movie not too far from here. It was standing room only as the houselights went down. The spotlight came up -- there wasn't a sound! Then: 1 bat sang.2 bats flapped. 3 bats cha-cha-ed4 bats tapped.

Every year a troupe of 55 buoyant bats comes up with 10 fabulous acts to entertain and instruct an enthusiatic audience. And every year the bats top themselves when they perform the grandest finale of all . . .

With its exuberant text and enchanting illustrations, Bat Jamboree is both a counting book and a thrilling theatrical event.

Customer Reviews (8)

Fun and Funny; Great for Bat Lovers
Excellent, colorful book that emphasis the friendliness of bats while also teaching counting through repetition in story and rhyme.The fun and funny illustrations make it a must for bat lovers of all ages.

A fun rhyming story about bats
I loved this story because it was funny, and original.The rhyming and counting were fun for my students and the ending was clever.I like it when I can include musical stories into my teaching.

Rhyming?
This book was very cute which is why I gave it such a high rating.This book is a poor example of how to rhyme.There are several lines in this book that are close to rhyming but it isn't quite there in several instances.Good for teaching counting up and backwards from ten.

Night Fun
As a third grade teacher, I found this book useful on the 55th day of school. After reading the book, the children made a pyramid using manipulatives for the bats. We used 1" tiles. This demonstrates a growing pattern using +1 pattern to grow with. This is a nice lead-in to multiplication.

Great Book for introducing children to counting and adding
This book has a fun and exciting story line. Children will have fun reading about the 55 bats at the jamboree. The illustrations are colorful and eye-catching. Children can have fun counting, adding and subtractingthe 55 bats at the Bat Jamboree. Watch out for the Bat Lady! ... Read more

Product Description
"A charming and informative story about a pipistrelle bat. . . . Offers vivid descriptions of the animal's flight, its navigational skills, and
the hunt for food." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Night has fallen, and Bat awakens to find her evening meal. Follow her as she swoops into the shadows, shouting and flying, the echoes of her voice creating a sound picture of the world around her. When morning light creeps into the sky, Bat returns to the roost to feed her baby . . . and to rest until nighttime comes again. Bat loves the night! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Bat Loves the Night - and My Kids Love This Book!
This book is an incredibly rare combination of poetic language, valid scientific information, and beautiful illustrations.I bought this for my then 5-year-old, and she loves it...but my preschooler REALLY loves it, so much so that she now has a little bat hanging from the ceiling in her room. (Near the window of course!)

Her father and I like it so much that we actively seek out other books by this author and illustrator.

Engaging, very readable
My four-year-old son loves this book, and I don't mind reading it twice a night for months on end. The story is vivid and lyrical, and the illustrations are beautiful.

christmas gift
gave this book to my great nephew for christmas and he was surprised and very pleased

great preschool bat book!
i agree with the fact that it is a story that reads like an encyclopedia...my boys really like it and it's not so dry that i enjoy reading it again and again to them! beautiful pictures too! just right for my 6 & 4 year olds even when they were 4 & 2!

I Love This Book
Nicola writes in such a spare and poetic style that she must capture the imagination of each child who reads it, or has it read to her. She offers facts about this bat breed as she weaves her story, and topped with delicate artwork, it's just perfect. ... Read more

Product Description
Since 1994, The Bat House Builder's Handbook has been the definitive source for bat house information. This new edition has been completely revised to incorporate the latest research on improving the success rates for bat houses. It updates the original bat house plans and includes a new "rocket box" design, along with mounting suggestions, tips for experimentation, frequently asked bat house questions, and information about bats most likely to use bat houses. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

bAT hOUSE bUILDER hANDBOOK
I highly recommend this book if you are starting from scratch....it is very informative and has great pix of what to achieve and wat it is supposed to look like when finished.
step by step instructions with measurements to make sure you are happy with your finished product.
Very useful and interesting information about bats themselves as well.
Mine was an ex library book, in decent shape, but a definate ADD to MY library!

Good starting point book for pointers
With our family interest in attracting bats to our property I looked into many books to help give me a better understanding of what all is needed. The nice thing about this book is that it is an easy read, lays out the fundamentals well about designs that work and presents further resources for getting info on bats.I would recommend this for anyone beginning to look into bat structures.

A Great Starter for Natural Insect Control
This book gives a great overview of bats, their habits, and how to provide effective dwellings for these voracious bug-eaters.Too many vampire movies have given bats a bad rap, but this book helps dispel the myths and reveals how beneficial these unusual mammals really are.Just knowing that one bat eats several hundred mosquitoes a night should get your attention!They also eat many other harmful insects and are definitely the gardeners' friends.The book contains plans for several types of houses and placement strategies for achieving the best success attracting these interesting and helpful critters.

You need to know a lot, but it's all here
After doing some research and reading this book, I discovered there is a lot to know to build a bat house that will actually appeal to bats. It turns out the most important factors are location, size and color.This book covers everything in great detail, based on research with thousands of bat house builders.

This book is published by the deans of bat conservancy, Bat Conservation International (batcon dot org). They know their stuff. There's a map showing what color you should paint your bat house, based on where you live in the USA (sorry, no international maps, but you can use the temperature guides to figure out what color if you don't live in the USA).

This book is large format, and very concise (35 pages, none wasted). The plans have actual cutting diagrams, to show you how to cut the lumber most efficiently. Highly recommended!

Bat Houses
This is a well written informative book.It contains great diagrahms and pictures, along with easy to read instructions.It also has many great facts and sourses. ... Read more

Product Description
Did you know that bats are not blind? That the smallest bat is the size of a bee? Kids will learn all this and more in this exciting book about one of nature's most misunderstood creatures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Donated to my son's school.He loves it.
My 7 year old is in a class that the kids elected to name The Bat Class.They could choose any animal to use to name the class and they chose bats.I donated this book since the teacher was asking for books about bats.My son really liked it and said his teacher did too.

Interesting presentation of accurate information.
Bats:Creatures of the Night, is an excellent book which presents very accurate information in an entertaining manner.It also adds some good words, such as "creature", to your child's reading vocabulary.

The book points out that bats are not to be fearedas they are not dangerous as described by myth; however, the book fails to warn children that bats do carry disease and downed bats should never be picked up.Although some downed bats are fallen young, others may be sick with Rabies.

Teachers/Parents: The danger myths about bats is a good introduction to the topic of myths in general.

TLC, M.S. Biology ... Read more

Product Description
The Stokes Beginners Guides, intended for beginning nature lovers of all ages, offer a wealth of identification and behavior information in a portable pocket-sized format. Illustrated throughout with full-color photographs and range maps, each Beginners Guide is organized according to the Stokes easy-to-use and popular color-tab system. Acclaimed bird and nature authorities, Donald and Lillian Stokes have written more than 22 books. They divide their time between Carlisle, Massachusetts, and Sanibel, Florida. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Beginner's Guide to Bats
Thought this was a good reference book. Would have liked a little more information in each catigory.

Good guide - but NOT for KIDS!
This is a handy guide for serious pursuers of bat identification and details about species; but not a general type of book for the casual purchaser.I bought this for my 9-year old's stocking; however it was too technical for him and even for me.Great guide i'm sure; but not easy reading, basically alot of dry facts.

good info
I got this to go with a bat house that I gave my dad for Christmas. I was glancing through the book and saw that it is full of information and is easy enough to read without getting too detailed. I think this is a great book for a bat beginner!

Little Book with Big Information
I have yet to go wrong with any of the little Stokes beginner's guides, and this one is no exception. Full of good information, excellent photos accompanied by reference icons and range maps. If you are just getting into learning about bats, this is the book to have, and if you already love them and just need a very portable field guide, this is an easy one to take along. It is simple enough to interest kids, but informational enough for any adult.

Stokes Guide to Bat
Never realized just how many bats there are. I bought this along with the Bat Builder's Handbook for my grand daughers. We can't wait to have some bats move in. ... Read more

Product Description
"And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; But there is no joy in Mudville-mighty Casey has struck out." Those lines have echoed through the decades, the final stanza of a poem published pseudonymously in the June 3, 1888, issue of the San Francisco Examiner. Its author would rather have seen it forgotten. Instead, Ernest Thayer's poem has taken a well-deserved place as an enduring icon of Americana. Christopher Bing's magnificent version of this immortal ballad of the flailing 19th-century baseball star is rendered as though it had been newly discovered in a hundred-year-old scrapbook. Bing seamlessly weaves real and trompe l'oeil reproductions of artifacts-period baseball cards, tickets, advertisements, and a host of other memorabilia into the narrative to present a rich and multifaceted panorama of a bygone era. A book to be pored over by children, treasured by aficionados of the sport-and given as a gift to all ages: a tragi-comic celebration of heroism and of a golden era of sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

A triumph
The creation of this book is an amazing accomplishment; a marvel.The poem itself is retold in scrapbook fashion, and the pages are filled with illustrations, old advertisements, press clippings, viewing cards, tickets...

It is a visual feast, a treat, to read this book.I find myself savoring each page.I can't imagine that what I paid for it is enough -- this book has more than repaid what I spent on it.What a way to introduce poetry to a young person; what a gift for an old baseball lover.The artwork invites a much deeper exploration of America.

A delicious book.Masterful.

... you should buy this book.

My favorite Children's book!
This is such a fantastic book!!I love reading this book to my students to teach what happens when you show off and "show boat". I love this version of the book. I love showing my students this version of the book. The pictures look like newsprint from 1888, and the students just love it. They're amazed at how the fans dress "back in the day". This is such a charming story and carries such a powerful message.My students beg me to read it more than once.

I highly suggest this book!

casey at the bat
This is an awsome book.The pictures are so authentic looking. I especially like the newspaper clippings added extra.They are fun to read. I also use this book in my classes to teach tone and mood.

Must have book for kids of all ages - whether you like baseball or not.
As an admitted father of two toddlers, book lover, history buff and baseball fan, my review may seem like the most biased you could read. Yes, I do love this book on many levels.

But I have shared this book with children and adults of all ages -- many that care less about baseball, sports or history -- and all have been captivated by the illustrations and unbelievable level of detail Christopher Bing brought to this book.

Indeed, it is "copiously and faithfully illustrated" by the author. Every time you pick up this book you will be rewarded for your attention: it is filled with interesting little images of ads, money and baseball-related items from the period.

This book will surprise and delight you, again and again. Nice job, Mr. Bing. Very nice job.

WHAT A WONDEFUL, WELL DONE WORK!
What a wonderful rendition of one of my favorite (and many others) poems!Not only do I like this book my self (I actually own the thing), but I have found it to be very useful in school and in teaching young grandsons.The author has taken the classic poem of Casey at the Bat and turned it into a piece of art and a history lesson all in one.He has used old newspaper clippings of the late 1800s as a back ground to his wonderful illustrations.A close look at these clippings reveal that they enhance and go along with the story quite well.Not only do the kids (I use this for 3rd graders through 6th graders) get to hear, as I read the book to them, one of our classic "fun poems" but they get a great history lesson as we discuss the context of the story with the newspaper background.It is rather amazing, upon close examination, just how much extras information the author has packed into this book.Now I realize that this is classified as a juvenal book, which I think is a real shame as it will possible divert the attention of older baseball fans and they will miss out on quite a lot.That is a pity.This book is actually quite suitable for a baseball fan of any age.I know I treasure my copy at well over sixty years old...of course I must admit to still having a lot of little boy in me, still.Highly recommend this one. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

BATS!
We did a unit study on bats and this book was perfect for all students.It was written in simple language and allowed all readers to gain information from it.

Good for ANY age!!!
This book is like a magazine! Got it for my older brother (wont say how old):)000 We both enjoyed it, learned a lot. Got it to get free shipping well worth it. When ever my brother gets tried of the book he'll give it to someone who needs to learn just how important Bats are!!!

Great education
These "books" come in magazine form. They are highlyeducational, and satisfy my 4 1\2 year old's curiosity, while giving himfacts in a very interesting way.We have the Elephants issue, and I havelearned things I didn't know!!

Very educational
I have bought the Elephants issue and the Bats issue and these books,which come in magazine form, are very educational for kids.My 4 year oldloves them, and makes me read him every word in the magazine!! Highlyrecommended!! ... Read more

Product Description
Grab a flashlight and join the fun! The Magic School Bus is heading across the country in search of all kinds of bats: the biggest, smallest, and most endangered. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great series for my second grader!
This is a great series for early readers that want to move to a bit more challenging chapter books.My second grader loves that each book is about a different adventure and that she learns facts at the same time.

Come On, Scholastic - You Can Do Better!
First of all, I would like to clarify that this is a review of the WHOLE chapter book series - not just this book. Second of all, I would like to clarify that, at age 15, I'm probably NOT the target audience for these books. However, as a die-hard Magic School Bus fan, I can honestly say that while I applaud Scholastic for wanting to introduce MSB to a new generation of kids, it certainly deserves better treatment than this.

The kids' voices (with the possible exception of Arnold) are interchangeable, the plots are, with few exceptions, copied directly from MSB episodes, and the illustrations range in quality from pretty good (The Search for the Missing Bones) to extremely poor (Color Day Relay). But that wasn't what bothered me.

What bothered me was that the characters are hardly recognizable - with the exception of Liz, they all seem different.

*Ms. Frizzle makes mistakes (Butterfly Battle), gets nervous, (Voyage to the Volcano), and gets sick (The Great Shark Escape), whereas in the TV series (which I am comparing them to rather than the original books, because that's obviously what they're based on), she never does any of those things. It even specifically stated on "Inside Ralphie" that she never gets sick.

*Arnold is pretty much the same, although he doesn't seem to know anything about rocks (Rocky Road Trip) - in the TV show they're his favorite thing - and he has been given Ralphie's tendency toward motion sickness (several books).

*Ralphie is my biggest complaint about this series. While I will admit to being prejudiced as he is my favorite character in the TV series, anyone can see the difference. Whereas before Ralphie was the class athlete and mentioned food no more or less than any of the other boys, he now suddenly is the only member of the class who can't jump onto a moving conveyer belt (The Search for the Missing Bones) and clumsy and food-obsessed (Color Day Relay). One can't help but wonder if they perhaps did this because Ralphie is the most heavily built student in Ms. Frizzle's class. Also, his overactive imagination has been toned down considerably.

*Phoebe thought bats were ugly (The Truth About Bats). The Phoebe I know would never say an animal is ugly.

*Dorothy Ann is not only the smartest kid in the class, she is now a stuck-up know-it-all who constantly wants to feel superior to the other kids (Voyage to the Volcano).

I could go on and on, but I think I've made my point. While it is great that a new generation of kids is being introduced to these characters, the question remains - exactly who are they being introduced to?

Excited about reading!
I was very excited to find out about the Magic School Bus chapter books.I teach 2nd and 3rd grades and my students love this book! My 3rd graders are reading chapter books.This new series allows them to keep reading about Ms. Frizzle and her class.They are learning more Science facts andworking on their reading skills.As a teacher I couldn't ask for more! ... Read more

Product Description
Simple text and illustrations describe the habits and characteristics of bats. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Got it for my older brother, wont say how old.
My brother loves Bats and their helpfulness in the world just being themselves :)
Started to look at it, quickly, before he picked it up! Easy to read, tells the good in Bats, has wonderful pictures too! ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
What happens to a baby Mexican free-tailed bat whose mother doesn't return from her daily hunting trip? A tender story of sorrow and hope for one little lost bat. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

poignant and true to nature
Despite this book's title, the little lost bat isn't lost, his mother is. Baby bat is obediently clinging to the ceiling of Bracken Cave in Texas, where his mother left him when she and millions of other bats flew out to hunt. She needs to eat nearly her weight in moths, beetles, and the occasional mosquito every night in order to stay healthy and nourish her baby.
One night, alas, she isn't quick enough to escape a barn owl who is also hungry. And when the other mother bats return to their babies in the dark cave, the little bat is alone.
The author ofLittle Lost Bat, an award-winning nonfiction writer, has crafted a tale that is both poignant and true to nature. Baby bat's plight has a happy ending, suitable for a preschool audience: he is adopted by another mother who cannot find her own baby. Not a hint of anthropomorphism mars the simple beauty of the narrative, however. Endnotes document the author's research and verify that adoption of orphaned baby bats is indeed possible in the wild.
Small children won't care about research, of course. They will be fascinated by this tiny, furry creature, distressed at his danger, and relieved at his rescue.
Warm watercolor art, moody yet luminous, captures the delicate strength of a bat's wings, the graceful swoops of the mother's flight, the tenuous hold of the baby's tiny claw on the rocky ceiling.
Both beautifully illustrated and beautifully written, this picture book touches and satisfies on a deep level.

poignant and true to nature
Despite this book's title, the little lost bat isn't lost, his mother is. Baby bat is obediently clinging to the ceiling of Bracken Cave in Texas, where his mother left him when she and millions of other bats flew out to hunt. She needs to eat nearly her weight in moths, beetles, and the occasional mosquito every night in order to stay healthy and nourish her baby.
One night, alas, she isn't quick enough to escape a barn owl who is also hungry. And when the other mother bats return to their babies in the dark cave, the little bat is alone.
The author ofLittle Lost Bat, an award-winning nonfiction writer, has crafted a tale that is both poignant and true to nature. Baby bat's plight has a happy ending, suitable for a preschool audience: he is adopted by another mother who cannot find her own baby. Not a hint of anthropomorphism mars the simple beauty of the narrative, however. Endnotes document the author's research and verify that adoption of orphaned baby bats is indeed possible in the wild.
Small children won't care about research, of course. They will be fascinated by this tiny, furry creature, distressed at his danger, and relieved at his rescue.
Warm watercolor art, moody yet luminous, captures the delicate strength of a bat's wings, the graceful swoops of the mother's flight, the tenuous hold of the baby's tiny claw on the rocky ceiling.
Both beautifully illustrated and beautifully written, this picture book touches and satisfies on a deep level.

Review from www.firrkids.com
This book really toes the line between fiction and non-fiction. Readers get a double dose by learning a host of interesting facts about bats and enjoying a heartwarming story. I was surprised by how engaging and endearing this book turned out to be. This is a lovely story about an animal that is typically seen as frightful or fearsome.

This tale begins with a mother bat bringing her new baby into the world. There are million of bats in the cave, but each mother and baby pair have their own special calls with which to find and identify each other. Every night the mother bats venture out to hunt for food, each needing to eat nearly her own weight in insects to have energy for nursing.

While out hunting one night, the mother bat is snatched up by an owl. Her baby cries and cries for her, his belly growling, but she does not return. The other female bats ignore his cries, until he is adopted by another mother who is searching for her own lost baby.

The text spacing is unusual, but once you are accustomed to the layout, it feels poetic. Because of the subject matter, the backgrounds are the cave interiors or the night sky. As you can see by the sample pages, the illustrations are watercolors in deep blues and purples - absolutely gorgeous. The drawings of the little lost bat crying for his mother just tug at your heartstrings.

All told - beautiful illustrations, great learning opportunities and a tender story make this a book we will read over and over again.

Heart-rending and hopeful
This is a tender, heart-rending tale of a new-born bat whose mother does not return to him. He is eventually adopted by another mother bat who cannot find her own baby. Much information about the Mexican free-tailed bat is presented, beautifully illustrated in subdued watercolors, pen and pencil. This isnot a story to share in a large group - sad and intense for the young listeners. For instance, we see that the mother is taken by an owl. We are also informed that babies who drop to the floor of the cave are devoured by beetles. But there is a hopeful element, too.An author's note at the end of the book explains that as many as ten percent of bat mothers nurse babies that are not their own. There is also a list of additional resources and some facts about bats at the end as well. Hold your child and share this amazing story.

A wonderful story about love and loss
It says that this book is recommended for children Grades 2-4. I would think that the older kids would be the ones to truly 'get' it and it could fluster if not scare off the younger children if only because the story deals with a mother bat that is killed by an owl whilst her baby bat waits and waits in vain for its mother...until another mother finds it and keeps it safe. It is a very sad story, and needs delicacy in handling the subject matter, but children will need to learn about death/loss eventually and this is as good as any a book to discuss it, though I would recommend it to older kids. The illustrations [watercolor and ink] are beautiful. Also includes facts and numbers about bats, as well as annotated resources. ... Read more