I Got It!

Three-time Caldecott Medalist Wiesner looks at the interior anxieties of a boy playing baseball with a new crowd of kids. Assigned to the outfield, and with a fly ball heading toward him, the boy imagines himself uttering the words of the title--"I got it!"--but then tripping on a root. In his next vision of failure, a tree keeps him from snagging the ball. More surreal wordless spreads follow, expressions of the boy's fears of humiliation and determination to succeed--all flashing by in the time it takes the ball to descend. In one, the ball looms, the size of a planet. Then the boy chases through a crowd of giant kids like a Lilliputian, grabbing onto their clothes, hopping from head to head, and--in a final, victorious leap--making the catch: "I got it!" Although this nearly wordless story lacks the comedy of some of his previous creations, Wiesner conveys with startling immediacy how time slows in moments of crisis, and the way that people move back and forth between the outer world of reality and the complicated, many-dimensional world of interior consciousness. Ages 4-7. (Apr.)

PreS-Gr 3--Set against the backdrop of a pick-up baseball game, Wiesner's nearly wordless picture book expertly layers elements of relatable emotion, boundless imagination, eye-popping action, and out-and-out fun. When a lonely boy approaches a group of kids milling around the chain-link backstop, he is quickly sized up by the team captain and sent to the outfield. A crack of the bat later, a fly ball is hurtling its way toward the youngster, who enthusiastically calls out, "I got it!" Easier said than done, as all manner of fantastical obstacles throw themselves in his pathway--everything from suddenly sprouting tree branches to impossible shifts in size (of both ball and boy). Never fear, perseverance and determination win out in the end, and the young protagonist, eyes shining brightly, arm fully extended, and glove reaching to blue sky, is triumphant ("I GOT IT!"). Created in acrylic, gouache, and watercolor, Wiesner's beautifully composed paintings realistically portray his characters, their activities, and their social interactions, making the flights of fancy all the more effective. Any reader who has ever experienced the seemingly endless wait for a fly ball to descend into their open glove (along with the always-present possibility of disaster) will relate to this story. VERDICT A mesmerizing and entertaining offering that will be enjoyed by a broad audience. A must-have addition to sports shelves.--Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs