Raschka, Chris. A BALL FOR DAISY. New York:
Schwartz and Wade Books. 2011. ISBN 978-0-375-85861-1
Who can resist this warm, affectionate, innocent, lovable little
dog out for a walk with her owner?
Without a word, Chris Raschka tells the story of Daisy who loves her red
ball. She sleeps with it, and takes
walks to the park for a fun game of fetch with her owner. While on one of these outings, Daisy meets a
playmate and they are in playground heaven until, the fun comes to a dramatic halt. The new friend dog accidentally punctures the
red ball, and it must be thrown away. We
grieve with Daisy and our heart strings are pulled as we wish we could make it
all better. Never fear. The ending does not disappoint.
Chris Raschka creates his Caldecott winning, watercolor magic yet again with
pictures that need no words to communicate happiness, contentment, joy, rest,
love, energy, sadness, depression, and even gratitude. His
color palate of warm hues in joyful moments and his muted grays and browns in
the gloomy moments carry our emotions along with the story. His relaxed lines create a very youthful tone.
Raschka’s work has been an acquired taste for me. Being more of a fan of the Van Allsburg or Wiesner
style of realistic art, the more whimsical brush of Raschka provides a very different
canvas. On repeated perusal I have come
to appreciate the endearing and enduring quality of the youthful innocence in
his storytelling. As Horn Book observes of Daisy, “Though her story is
simple, it’s transcendent.”
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