'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Review: This is a Ball

Kids love crazy. And they love to be driven crazy! In This is a Ball, creative couple Beck and Matt Stanton have nailed the craziness. And then some.

At the opening, we are asked to identify several objects, and to clarify that they are indeed what they are--a triangle, an ice cream (that's not a cat) and a banana.

From there, our brains are turned inside out.

A cube is a ball. A car is a bike. An elephant is a dog. Of course it is. It has four legs and a tail. Wait--it's not a dog? Are you really sure???

Funny, clever, deliciously dry, This is a Ball does colour and design as beautifully as its overall concept, with scrumptious, childlike illustrations that are a touch Dick Bruna, a touch Taro Gomi.

I also love that this book encourages kids to think outside the square, and hopefully, somewhere deep in that unlimited subconscious, understand that what we see is all about perception. What a powerful thought.

Title: This is a Ball
Author/Illustrator: Beck and Matt Stanton
Publisher: ABC Books, $19.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 April 2015
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9780733334351
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book