Yellow Ball

Forgotten at the water's edge, a ball is pulled into the ocean by the tide and eventually washed up on another shore. Told in a mere 28 words, this tale could be slight, but in Bang's ( The Paper Crane ; Ten, Nine, Eight ) experienced hands, it becomes a fully realized drama. The yellow ball, tiny in a vast, vivid sea, bobs along and is viewed from the perspectives of a gull and a fish, and from ``high'' above a bridge. Then a storm arises, but the ball outlasts the gale and is finally deposited safely on a beach--where it is spotted by a boy. The final illustration depicts the sleeping lad hugging his newfound treasure. The one-word accompaniment to this gratifying scene at the end of an arduous journey is, simply and satisfyingly, ``Home.'' Ages 2-up. (Apr.)