Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads
0 0
Download high-resolution image

A Ball for Daisy

(Caldecott Medal Winner)

Author Chris Raschka
Illustrated by Chris Raschka
Ebook
RH Childrens Books | Schwartz & Wade
On sale Dec 21, 2011 | 32 Pages | 9780375988738
Preschool - 2
Reading Level: Lexile NP | Fountas & Pinnell WB
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

See Additional Formats
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This charming, wordless book vibrantly explores the joy and sadness that having a special toy can bring.

A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST PICTURE BOOK OF THE CENTURY

“Raschka’s genius lies in capturing the essence of situations that are deeply felt by children.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Daisy is a dog whose world revolves around her favorite toy ball. She always has it with her—on walks, during naps on the couch, even on visits to the local dog park. But when another dog at the park accidentally pops Daisy’s ball, her sadness at the loss is overwhelming.

Expertly and wordlessly told through gorgeous watercolor illustrations, Caldecott Medal winner Chris Raschka has created a comforting narrative to help children navigate feelings of loss, sadness, and uncertainty. His illustrations powerfully portray Daisy’s emotions, and the satisfying, cheerful ending will appeal to young dog lovers, teachers, and parents of children who are missing something special.

With impressionistic artwork and a positive message at its core, A Ball for Daisy is an affectionate story that shows how embracing change and forgiveness can result in beautiful new beginnings.
© Sonya Sones
I’m sometimes asked about my general approach to illustration, which has over the years come to be described as minimal. Hmm, I’m not sure minimal is such a complimentary term, but I’ll accept it. I wasn’t always minimal. In the early days I was laying it on as thickly as I could, trying very hard to get it right. But I found that the harder I tried, the more tired whatever it was I was working on looked. And then I grew tired of it as well.
 
“There is too much sweat in it,” is how my friend, the artist Vladimir Radunsky, would put it. 
 
Perhaps he means that there has been an imposition of too much of my will upon the material with which I was working. It is an offhand remark of Wordsworth’s that helped me when I needed a new way to move forward: “The matter always comes out of the manner.” How you say something has direct bearing on what you say.
 
So, if you labor heavily upon a work of art, then part of what you are saying is, this is a heavy work of art. If you happen to be trying to say something about lightness, then the art should be light as well.
 
It is much the same with food. There are heavy meals and light meals. There are sauces that contain endless lists of ingredients, and there are sauces that contain only a few but in exquisite proportion. Does an apple taste best bitten directly into, sliced thinly with a light squeeze of lemon, or baked for an hour with nutmeg, sugar, cinnamon, flour and egg whites? Maybe the answer is that there is a time for all of those things.
 
My answer in my illustration has been to allow the materials to speak as directly as possible. I want each and every entire brushstroke to be seen. I want the marks made by the tip of the brush to carry as much meaning as the marks made by the dragging tail end, the part that splits open as the paint pulls away, thins and dries. I want each brushstroke to have a beginning, a middle, and an end, a story in itself and a life in itself. Then the life of this brushstroke can wrestle with the life of the brushstroke next to it. There is enough action there between two brushstrokes for a little story. And what happens when the next brushstroke comes in a different color? 
 
It could be epic. Of course, if it’s just brushstrokes wrestling around, it isn’t much of a picture book is it? There still has to be a picture. And maybe it needs to be a picture of a dog named Daisy or a little girl riding a bike. So I have to be careful before I get too carried away in the manner itself.
 
In the end, this is how it goes in my books. There are always two stories happening: one is me having fun watching brushstrokes wrestle, and the other is the story told in pictures and words on a page. It may be minimal, but it’s enough for me. View titles by Chris Raschka

Educator Guide for A Ball for Daisy

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More

Classroom Activities for A Ball for Daisy

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More
  • WINNER | 2012
    Caldecott Medal Winner
  • WINNER | 2011
    Horn Book Fanfare
  • SUBMITTED
    Caldecott Medal Winner
  • NOMINEE
    Bank Street Child Study Children's Book Award

2012 Randolph Caldecott Medal Winner

Starred Review, School Library Journal, August 2011:
"Raschka’s genius lies in capturing the essence of situations that are deeply felt by children."

Starred Review, Horn Book, September/October 2011:
"a story that is noteworthy for both its artistry and its child appeal."

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2011:
“Rarely, perhaps never, has so steep an emotional arc been drawn with such utter, winning simplicity.”

About

CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This charming, wordless book vibrantly explores the joy and sadness that having a special toy can bring.

A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST PICTURE BOOK OF THE CENTURY

“Raschka’s genius lies in capturing the essence of situations that are deeply felt by children.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Daisy is a dog whose world revolves around her favorite toy ball. She always has it with her—on walks, during naps on the couch, even on visits to the local dog park. But when another dog at the park accidentally pops Daisy’s ball, her sadness at the loss is overwhelming.

Expertly and wordlessly told through gorgeous watercolor illustrations, Caldecott Medal winner Chris Raschka has created a comforting narrative to help children navigate feelings of loss, sadness, and uncertainty. His illustrations powerfully portray Daisy’s emotions, and the satisfying, cheerful ending will appeal to young dog lovers, teachers, and parents of children who are missing something special.

With impressionistic artwork and a positive message at its core, A Ball for Daisy is an affectionate story that shows how embracing change and forgiveness can result in beautiful new beginnings.

Author

© Sonya Sones
I’m sometimes asked about my general approach to illustration, which has over the years come to be described as minimal. Hmm, I’m not sure minimal is such a complimentary term, but I’ll accept it. I wasn’t always minimal. In the early days I was laying it on as thickly as I could, trying very hard to get it right. But I found that the harder I tried, the more tired whatever it was I was working on looked. And then I grew tired of it as well.
 
“There is too much sweat in it,” is how my friend, the artist Vladimir Radunsky, would put it. 
 
Perhaps he means that there has been an imposition of too much of my will upon the material with which I was working. It is an offhand remark of Wordsworth’s that helped me when I needed a new way to move forward: “The matter always comes out of the manner.” How you say something has direct bearing on what you say.
 
So, if you labor heavily upon a work of art, then part of what you are saying is, this is a heavy work of art. If you happen to be trying to say something about lightness, then the art should be light as well.
 
It is much the same with food. There are heavy meals and light meals. There are sauces that contain endless lists of ingredients, and there are sauces that contain only a few but in exquisite proportion. Does an apple taste best bitten directly into, sliced thinly with a light squeeze of lemon, or baked for an hour with nutmeg, sugar, cinnamon, flour and egg whites? Maybe the answer is that there is a time for all of those things.
 
My answer in my illustration has been to allow the materials to speak as directly as possible. I want each and every entire brushstroke to be seen. I want the marks made by the tip of the brush to carry as much meaning as the marks made by the dragging tail end, the part that splits open as the paint pulls away, thins and dries. I want each brushstroke to have a beginning, a middle, and an end, a story in itself and a life in itself. Then the life of this brushstroke can wrestle with the life of the brushstroke next to it. There is enough action there between two brushstrokes for a little story. And what happens when the next brushstroke comes in a different color? 
 
It could be epic. Of course, if it’s just brushstrokes wrestling around, it isn’t much of a picture book is it? There still has to be a picture. And maybe it needs to be a picture of a dog named Daisy or a little girl riding a bike. So I have to be careful before I get too carried away in the manner itself.
 
In the end, this is how it goes in my books. There are always two stories happening: one is me having fun watching brushstrokes wrestle, and the other is the story told in pictures and words on a page. It may be minimal, but it’s enough for me. View titles by Chris Raschka

Guides

Educator Guide for A Ball for Daisy

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More

Classroom Activities for A Ball for Daisy

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More

Awards

  • WINNER | 2012
    Caldecott Medal Winner
  • WINNER | 2011
    Horn Book Fanfare
  • SUBMITTED
    Caldecott Medal Winner
  • NOMINEE
    Bank Street Child Study Children's Book Award

Praise

2012 Randolph Caldecott Medal Winner

Starred Review, School Library Journal, August 2011:
"Raschka’s genius lies in capturing the essence of situations that are deeply felt by children."

Starred Review, Horn Book, September/October 2011:
"a story that is noteworthy for both its artistry and its child appeal."

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2011:
“Rarely, perhaps never, has so steep an emotional arc been drawn with such utter, winning simplicity.”

Additional formats

Other Books by this Author

Related Articles

Penguin Random House Elementary Education

© 2025 Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Wish List (0)