The Ball Bounced

Like the bicycle wheel in Wheel Away! (see review above), a ball bounces and sets off chain reactions: the cat jumps, the water splashes, the dog runs and so on, until the ball stops . . . and a toddler laughs. The action-packed text by Tafuri ( Have You Seen My Duckling? ) moves as quickly as a bouncing ball, and the suspenseful moments instantaneously attract the reader's attention. So do the illustrations, with a palette that, while unusual, is not always pleasing. Despite that, the concept of cause-and-effect is flawlessly laid out; this is a useful book. Ages 3-up. (Mar.)