Ball - by Mary Sullivan (Board Book)

About the Book

While searching for someone to play with him, a dog dreams of fantastical adventures he could have with his ball.

Book Synopsis

A 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 naptime's wild, ball-centric dream sequence. The pictures speak a thousand words in this comic book-style ode to canine joy.

Review Quotes

"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

"A humorous portrait of a dog with a one-track mind. . . . A fine choice for independent readers and dog lovers everywhere."
--School Library Journal

"Deceptively simple little winner for dog lovers."
--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."
--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."
--Bulletin

"Ball is one long joke, but a good one. . . . Get this dog a frisbee and a follow-up."
--The New York Times Online

About the Author

In her formative years, Mary Sullivan spent a great deal of time drawing. She received a BFA from the University of Texas at Austin, and has shown her work in galleries and coffee shops in Dallas and Austin. A freelancer for publishers from Pearson to Scholastic, she lives in Cedar Park, Texas. Visit her website at www.marysullivan.com.