Ball

Illustrator Sullivan (Field of Peace) makes a hilarious debut as an author by touring the brain of a ball-obsessed dog. The dog’s googley eyes, droopy snout, and oversize midriff provide comedy of their own, and he’s even funnier when paneled sequences show him charging after his red ball, complete with puffs of smoke to signal blazing speed. “Ball!” he thinks (or sometimes “Ball?”); it’s the book’s only word. The dog’s curly headed owner is delighted to play with him, but after she leaves for school he’s stuck with her meditating mother and a squalling baby. He tries listlessly to amuse himself, then dozes off. His dreams are a parade of mad, creative whimsy. A tiered cake dotted with balls, a monstrous baby, and an interstellar game of chase climax with a journey down the toilet and through a maze of pipes. It’s a paean to the neurotic single-mindedness of dogs, and a brilliant study of boredom. Readers will greet the moment when the girl arrives home with almost as much relief as the dog—and they’ll eagerly await Sullivan’s next book. Ages 4–8. Agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates. (Apr.)