28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic art with loads of charm, May 17, 2011
This review is from: A Ball for Daisy (Hardcover)
I am usually not one to appreciate wordless books. I need to have some text in order to enjoy a picture book and to help kids enjoy it too. This book is an exception. Raschka is a brilliant picture book illustrator. He works magic with his squiggly bold lines and his thick strokes of the brush. The depth of emotion he can portray and his expressive charm and humor are on full display in this short little story.
Daisy is a puppy who loves her ball. She loves playing with it and when one day her owner takes her to the park, the ball comes along. A playful romp with another dog turns disastrous when Daisy's ball pops and she is heartbroken. I say heartbroken because this dog is SAD. Raschka's illustrations are sure to touch the heart of any young child who has ever lost his favorite toy. This is all about Daisy, since we only see her owner's face at the very end. It's a feel good ending when Daisy goes back to the park only to meet up with the same dog and her owner. The good news is that they have brought a new ball to play with and Daisy gets to take it home.
This book is sure to elicit lots of smiles and teaches a good lesson about being considerate with other people's toys. Mainly though, it's just a fun little story to share with your child and a good pick for any toddler or preschoolers personal collection. Recommended.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Attention Caldecott Committee:, February 1, 2012
This review is from: A Ball for Daisy (Hardcover)
Okay, I need a place to vent.
To all those on the Caldecott Selection Committee, you have GOT to GET OVER your OBSESSION with wordless picture books. Just because a book utilizes pictures alone to tell the story, that does not automatically make it worthy of the Medal. Seriously, it is getting out of hand. In the past 10 years, you have given it to wordless picture books 4 TIMES. It is starting to become a cheap gimmick, but you continue to suffer knee-jerk reactions to validate them.
Don't get me wrong. Tuesday is brilliant. Flotsam is also very good. The Three Pigs first showed your googly lovestruck eyes for this genre, even when the book wasn't that great. The Lion and the Mouse, I could forgive that one since Jerry Pinkney was long overdue. But now, A Ball for Daisy, and Chris Raschka receives his SECOND Medal!!?!?! No, no, no, no.
A Ball for Daisy does not deserve the Caldecott. I know that Raschka's style is unconventional, but I enjoyed Hello Goodbye Window, so it is not as if I am completely opposed to his art. The problem is that in A Ball for Daisy, the art is not clear enough to stand alone without words. Worse, the LAYOUT of the pictures does not provide a clear path for children to follow the story. The only way this story will make sense to a young child is for an adult to ADD words. I have read this book to third grade and kindergarten, and neither class was impressed or even engaged by this story.
For all the rest of you that don't follow the history of the Caldecott, and are checking out this book because it won the Medal, I have a recommendation for you. If you really want the best picture book of the year with the most outstanding illustrations, I recommend Grandpa Green by Lane Smith. It is gorgeous and children are enthralled by it. It puts tears in my eyes. Somehow, the same committee that picked A Ball for Daisy for the Medal had enough good taste to also give Grandpa Green an Honor.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Perfect Ten, November 25, 2011
This review is from: A Ball for Daisy (Hardcover)
Rarely do I read a book that touches me so deeply. Certainly part of my enthusiasm for the text has to do with my own ball-loving pup, but the layers of emotion that the illustrator creates are incredible. The simple story - dog loses and ultimately reclaims a beloved toy - is altered into a deeper text about how profound loss can be, even if the loss seems small to those around you. The book is wordless, but truthfully, I think words would be superfluous to the book as a whole. I see this as a definite Caldecott option this year.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
