Synopses & Reviews
Mary Sullivan's comic strip- inspired art combines sensitivity and humor as one imaginative (but extremely bored) dog searches for a partner to just throw the ball. Forced to go solo, a hilarious one-sided game of fetch ensues, until at long last his best pal returns from school to play BALL. Dog lovers both young and old will recognize the tell-tale signs of canine creativity in the face of boredom and delight in the book's cheerful cure for loneliness. A buddy story that is sure to inspire future comic book and graphic novel readers and creators.
Review
"Illustrator Sullivan makes a hilarious debut as an author by touring the brain of a ball-obsessed dog. . . . It's a paean to the neurotic single-mindedness of dogs, and a brilliant study of boredom."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
Review
"Illustrator Sullivan makes a hilarious debut as an author by touring the brain of a ball-obsessed dog. . . . It's a paean to the neurotic single-mindedness of dogs, and a brilliant study of boredom."
and#8212;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A humorous portrait of a dog with a one-track mind. . . . A fine choice for independent readers and dog lovers everywhere."
and#8212;School Library Journal
"Deceptively simple little winner for dog lovers."
and#8212;Kirkus
"Everything from the dog's brief encounter with a cat to his extended, ball-centric dream, told in full-page drawings, will make viewers giggle along with the story. Even those who have never had or wanted a dog will find themselves pining for a canine companion with similarly irresistible exuberance."
and#8212;Booklist
"Sullivan deftly captures doggy poses that run the spectrum from ecstasy to dejection. . . this will be a natural decode-alone for kids who are accustomed to parsing pictures, and they'll delight in the ability to read it all themselves."
and#8212;Bulletin
"Ball is one long joke, but a good one. . . . Get this dog a frisbee and a follow-up."
and#8212;The New York Times Online
Review
andquot;Sweetly satisfying.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal
* andquot;The simplicity of the text means that the earliest readers will soon be able to pick it up and will return to it over and over. One story. Two mice. Three cheers. Lots to love.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred review
andquot;The small dimensions of the book (not to mention its heores), the reassuring patterns of Ruzzierand#39;s text, and the surrealist edge common to his artwork create an adventure with a scintillating combination of danger and comfort.andquot;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly
* andquot;Using only two-word phrases and a sample repeating number pattern, this clever book creates a fast-pacede adventure for listeners and new readers alike.andquot;
andmdash;Horn Book Magazine, starred review
andldquo;What a cute, clever way into number sense.andrdquo;
andmdash;The New York Times Book Review
and#160;
Synopsis
In this close-to-wordless picture book, we see a dog's day-to-day struggle with trying to find a partner to just throw the BALL. and#160; and#160;
Synopsis
A 2014 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book A dog with a ball is one of the most relentlessly hopeful creatures on Earth. After his best little-girl pal leaves for school, this dog hits up yoga mom, baby, and even the angry cat for a quick throw. No luck. Forced to go solo, the dog begins a hilarious one-sided game of fetch until naptimeand#8217;s wild, ball-centric dream sequence. The pictures speak a thousand words in this comic book-style ode to canine monomania. Ball? Ball.
Synopsis
The dog wants to play BALL, but who will play ball with the dog? This sturdyand#160;board book format is perfect for the youngest animal lovers!
Synopsis
One house, two mice, three cookies . . . and the adventure begins. In gorgeously illustrated spreads and two-word phrases, this picture book takes two mice through their exciting and eventful day. Funny, lively, and easy to follow, the book offers the youngest readers the chance to count from one to three and back again.and#160;and#160;Sergio Ruzzierand#39;s illustrations display his signature quirky, colorful, and slightly surreal view of characters and settings, and the text is a minimalist gem. Itand#39;s a perfect book to share one-on-one with a young child and a lovely lead-up to bedtime.
Synopsis
Snail and Worm are a pleasant pair. And while these hilarious invertebrates may not have backbones, they will tickle readersandrsquo; funny bones as they discover that being small can mean big laughs between best friends.and#160;
About the Author
Tina and Carson Kanduuml;gler both grew up in Milwaukee, influenced by Mary Nohlandrsquo;s garden of fantastical creatures. They blossomed into professional artists and created three rather loud creatures of their own. After years of dreaming about how to turn Maryandrsquo;s wonderland into a book, Tina and Carson combined traditional and digital collage elements to capture the spirit of Maryandrsquo;s art. The Kanduuml;glers currently reside in Los Angeles, where Carson is a storyboard supervisor for Nickelodeon Animation and Tina is a full-time childrenandrsquo;s book illustrator.