Synopses & Reviews
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.
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
Synopsis
McDonnell, the creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip "Mutts," pays an incredibly sweet tribute to his dog, in a tale of wiggling and waggling, fwipping and fwapping . . . and every dog's secret to the joy of life.
Synopsis
It seems that everything gets Earl's tail wagging--a bowl of food, a field of flowers, long walks, and belly rubs. But Mooch, Earl's best friend, knows what all of these things have in common: love is what makes Earl's tail wag. Patrick McDonnell, creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip, Mutts, pays an incredibly sweet tribute to his dog in a tale of wiggling and waggling, fwipping and fwapping...and every dog's secret to the joy of life.
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;
Video
About the Author
Patrick McDonnell is the creator of the Mutts comic strip, which is about to celebrate its fifteenth anniversary. He has illustrated for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Reader's Digest, Time, Parents, and other journals, done CD covers for the Greatest Hits classical music series, and created a license plate for his home state of New Jersey. Hailed as "the next Charles Schulz," Patrick sits on the board of directors of the Humane Society of the United States, and has won numerous awards for both Mutts and his animal welfare work. He is the author of The Gift of Nothing, Art, Just Like Heaven, Hug Time, and South, and the co-author of Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman.