Cute, short, and fun. ( )

The seal is ready to play ball with all his friends, who each try to grab the ball until at last the kangaroo catches it in her pouch.

This book promotes reader interaction and fine motor skills by asking children to move the cardboard cutout "ball" along a string through each page as the various animals speak their lines. Other highlights include the subtly rhyming text and the bright, colorful illustrations in typical Eric Carle fashion. ( )

Summary:

Catch the Ball! is a fun and interactive hardcover picture book for younger children. It illustrates ten different animals (many you might see at a zoo) and adds simple narrative phrases from each one of them. The story proceeds with each animal as they pass along a ball that is attached to a string and goes through a die-cut circle in the book. Each little phrase that the animals say have some sort of rhyming words, which for children could be an introduction to poetry. At the end of the story, the ball fits into a three dimensional pouch on the kangaroo.

Comments (opinions/arguments):

This story is simple and really fun for younger children probably around preschool and kindergarten age. I really like the rhyming words and that the book tries to incorporate animal sounds. I also think that the interactive ball on the string that passes through the book is a fun idea to engage hands on learning with small children. This would probably be a great beginning read for the preschool age because the phrases are very simple and short. The illustrations are captivating and colorful. The story itself doesn’t have any particular message, but I think it’s purpose is to teach children about different animals, rhyming and the use of fine motor skills (through the passing of the ball through the holes). ( )

Catch the Ball is a fun play and read book. It is a picture book with rhyming words which should be more fun for children to read. In a way, it is demonstrating teamwork. The book may also help students identify different animals.

This is an easy read picture book about a Seal playing catch with his animal friends. The book allows children to play with the ball and have the animal catch it each while reading.