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A Ball for Daisy facts for kids

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A Ball for Daisy
Book cover
Author Chris Raschka
Illustrator Chris Raschka
Cover artist Chris Raschka
Country USA
Language English
Genre Children's Picture book
Publisher Schwartz & Wade
Publication date
May 10, 2011
Media type Print (Hardcover)
Pages 32
ISBN 978-0-375-85861-1
OCLC 649926186
LC Class PZ7.R1814 Bal 2011
Followed by Daisy Gets Lost 

A Ball for Daisy is a children's wordless picture book from 2011. It was written and illustrated by Chris Raschka. The book tells a sweet story about a dog named Daisy. Her favorite ball gets ruined, but then she gets a new one. Chris Raschka won the famous Caldecott Medal in 2012 for his amazing drawings in this book.

About the Book

Why a Wordless Book?

Chris Raschka first thought of the idea for A Ball for Daisy about 10 years before he wrote it. This idea came to him after seeing how sad his own son was when he lost a ball. Raschka wanted to create a book that children could "read" even if they didn't know how to read words yet.

The biggest challenge was showing feelings without any words. He used many sketches of dogs and balls to get the story just right.

Publication Details

The book was released on May 10, 2011. A sequel, Daisy Gets Lost, came out in 2013.

What Happens in the Story?

A Ball for Daisy is a wordless picture book about a small white dog named Daisy. She absolutely loves her red ball. Daisy takes her ball everywhere, even sleeping with it. She always wants it close by.

One day, Daisy's owner takes her for a walk. Another brown dog tries to play and accidentally pops Daisy's beloved ball. Daisy tries hard to get it back, but it's too late. Daisy's owner throws the broken ball away and takes Daisy home. Daisy is very sad about losing her ball.

Later, Daisy and her owner go for another walk. They see the same dog that popped Daisy's ball. This time, the other dog has a shiny new blue ball. The other dog gives the blue ball to Daisy. This makes Daisy very happy!

Art and Storytelling

Showing Emotions Through Art

The story of A Ball for Daisy is easy for kids to understand. It teaches about dealing with strong feelings and becoming stronger after a tough time. Many people who reviewed the book said that Raschka was very good at showing emotions. He used different colors to help show how the moods changed in the story.

The Art Style

Raschka used watercolors to create the pictures in the book. Reviewers also noticed his skill with big, sweeping brushstrokes. The drawings look like they were made quickly and perfectly, without needing many changes. They mix watercolor art with styles often seen in comic books.

A Ball for Daisy winning the Caldecott Medal was part of a trend. More wordless picture books have been honored with awards, showing how powerful stories can be told without words.

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