A BALL FOR DAISY by Chris Raschka (genre 1 book 1)

A Ball for Daisy is a wordless picture book by award winning author Chris Raschka. The illustrations tell the story of a dog named Daisy and her much loved red ball. One day the ball is lost while playing in the park with another dog and Daisy must deal with the grief of losing her favorite toy.

The simplistic, yet colorful illustrations in this book tell the story without the need for words. The color scheme and painted lines will appeal to a child. As the pages progress you can feel Daisy's love for her ball and her loss when it is gone. a wordless picture book such as this enables a child to independently "read" the book and discern for themselves what is happening encouraging visual literacy. A child will be able to identify with Daisy losing her ball and find a satisfying resolution that no matter how terrible it was to lose something you love, the feeling will not last forever. In the resolution the book also hints at what a friend might do if they hurt another's toy.

Review excerpts:
"A story that is noteworthy for both its artistry and its child appeal." -Horn Book

"Rarely, perhaps never, has so steep an emotional arc been drawn with such utter, winning simplicity." -Kirkus Reviews

Connections:
*Wordless picture books such as this are great to start discussions with a child on topics such as dealing with loss.

*Analyzing the pictures in a book with a child can help them learn to infer meaning and to draw conclusions about what might happen next.

*Also by Chris Raschka, Yo! Yes?, a Caldecott Honor Book.  

Bibliography:
Raschka, Chris. 2011. A Ball for Daisy. New York, NY: Scwartz & Wade. ISBN 9780375958618