My Yellow Ball

In clear, crisp prose, Lillegard ( Sitting in My Box ) transforms a girl's solitary ball game into an unfettered flight of the imagination. Hurled high into the sky, the yellow ball journeys afar, its destination governed by the girl's fantasies about adventures in distant realms. Simple, well-chosen language (``I threw my yellow ball so far, it soared to a jungle in a faraway place'') is shaped into an internal rhythm, a securely structured pattern of words. Intricately worked black-and-white illustrations (the ball is the only splash of color) add a dimension of solid reality to the girl's daydream world. Carefully depicted objects, from the exotic to the familiar, plot the ball's movements as it boomerangs back to its sender, giving a pleasing, circular effect. This timeless picture book will both fire the imagination and soothe with its repetition. Ages 5-8. (May)