Bats at the Ballgame

The third adaptation in author and illustrator Brian Lies' series about the anthropomorphic adventures of a fun-loving bat colony, this iconographic-animated version of the 2010 picture book Bats at the Ballgame finds the creatures impatiently waiting for the sun to set so they can root for their baseball team. The game is held at a carnival, where the crowd chomps “Cricket Jack” and “mothdogs” while singer Cleobatra belts out the anthem. Continuing the rhyming patterns of the earlier stories Bats at the Beach (VL-9/08) and Bats at the Library (VL-3/10), narrator Lies provides spirited Cosellian-like play calling, matching the excitement depicted in scenes of the players and home crowd. DVD extras include a conversation with Lies (who addresses the benefits and challenges of his bat-tale niche). Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)