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Randy Riley's Really Big Hit

Author Chris Van Dusen
Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
Candlewick
10.12"W x 11.62"H x 0.36"D   | 18 oz | 28 per carton
On sale Feb 14, 2012 | 32 Pages | 978-0-7636-4946-3
Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile 660L | Fountas & Pinnell M
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Randy likes space, robots, and baseball, but he can't ace everything . . . or can he? Chris Van Dusen knocks one out of the park with a comical ode to ingenuity.

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. He tries . . . but whiffs every time. 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 of his science smarts, and devises a plan that will save the day in a spectacular way. Once again, Chris Van Dusen winds up his visual humor, dizzying perspectives, perfect pacing, and rollicking rhyme and delivers a hit to make readers stand up and cheer.
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
Chris Van Dusen is the author-illustrator of DOWN TO THE SEA WITH MR. MAGEE, A CAMPING SPREE WITH MR. MAGEE, and IF I BUILT A CAR. He says, "When I first read Mercy Watson to the Rescue, the characters were very vivid in my mind, and they just came to life when I started painting. This is exactly the type of story I love to illustrate – a wonderfully silly adventure with lots of action." This is his first book with Candlewick Press. View titles by Chris Van Dusen

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About

Randy likes space, robots, and baseball, but he can't ace everything . . . or can he? Chris Van Dusen knocks one out of the park with a comical ode to ingenuity.

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. He tries . . . but whiffs every time. 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 of his science smarts, and devises a plan that will save the day in a spectacular way. Once again, Chris Van Dusen winds up his visual humor, dizzying perspectives, perfect pacing, and rollicking rhyme and delivers a hit to make readers stand up and cheer.

Praise

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

Author

Chris Van Dusen is the author-illustrator of DOWN TO THE SEA WITH MR. MAGEE, A CAMPING SPREE WITH MR. MAGEE, and IF I BUILT A CAR. He says, "When I first read Mercy Watson to the Rescue, the characters were very vivid in my mind, and they just came to life when I started painting. This is exactly the type of story I love to illustrate – a wonderfully silly adventure with lots of action." This is his first book with Candlewick Press. View titles by Chris Van Dusen

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