Review by Booklist Review
This minimalist tale follows a spunky golden retriever as he chases a bright red ball in the titular classic game. The title is cleverly utilized to launch the story: the first page reads search, and the ball is already in the water for the dog to retrieve. On a sunny day at the beach, the dog follows the ball into the ocean, paddling and playing over seals and colorful fish. The compelling graphic-design-inspired illustrations, consisting of distinct shapes of flat colors, call to mind the author's debut picture book, Nest (2014) both are inspired by animals she observed over time and found fascinating. The layout has only one word per spread, which captures the story from the dog's perspective, and this sparseness encourages visual literacy while underscoring the dog's innocent, persistent return to its owner. Where the red ball goes, the dog goes, tongue out and tail wagging. A wonderful addition to the pet or dog picture-book shelf, with an easy-to-follow format for preschoolers.--Miller, Annie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Nest, Hurley offered a close study of a robin family and its habitat; here, she takes a more playful tack, following a dog's pursuit of a ball at the beach, while maintaining the aesthetic precision of the previous book. Expanses of creamy blue and taupe instantly establish the seaside setting, and Hurley again keeps her text to one word per scene: a vertically oriented spread that reads "swim" shows the dog paddling after the ball while clownfish dart below. Seals, gulls, and even a shark make appearances, but the dog's joyful frolics are the story's focus and delight. Ages 3-7. Agent: Laurie Abkemeier, DeFiore and Company. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-From the author of Nest (S. & S., 2014) comes another spare and beautiful outdoor adventure. One day at the beach, a big dog's red ball is thrown into the water. "Splash!" And he's off to "swim," "dive," and "seek" that ball. Using only 15 words in total, Hurley takes the canine and readers on a delightful and fanciful romp. Children watch as the waves "crash" over him, see his playful stance when he meets some curious seagulls, and on one of two vertical spreads, are captivated as the dog floats at the water's surface while down near the ocean floor a shark gains on his fishy prey. Returning triumphantly to his owner with the ball, the eager pup is ready to do it all "again?" An author's note explains that all of the creatures and plants the dog encounters may be found off the West coast of North America. The palette of blues, greens, grays, browns, and white masterfully evokes the ocean and beach. Occasional use of red adds impact and vitality to the full-page illustrations. Whether this book is enjoyed one-on-one or with a group, requests for repeated readings are sure to follow. Recommended for all, but a must where Hurley's previous book is popular.-Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A dog chases a ball thrown into the ocean, meeting various beach and sea creatures during its joyous adventure, eventually returning to its girl. The red ball stands out in the strong, simple digitally rendered compositions in muted blues, dark greens, and taupes. The text consists of one verb per spread; occasionally the story progression is illogical or confusing. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
At the beach, a dog's game of fetch becomes an exploration of the natural environment. A retriever splashes into the water in pursuit of a beloved red ball and in so doing offers readers a fantastical canine perspective of coastal life. As the determined dog swims, dives and plays, a school of rockfish flurries below, a harbor seal peers through kelp, and several dolphins cruise by. As she did in Nest (2014), Hurley limits herself to one word per spread, each one thoughtfully designed and executed. Vertically turned spreads reveal the water's depth, and readers' eyes must moveto the right as the dog journeys away and back left to the point of origin, as the dog returns to the owner, to home. While the story arc is clear, and the minimalistic approach in both text and illustration is pleasing, this lacks the pizzazz of the author's debut work, where the change of seasons provided a more dynamic visual display. Here, the cool palette combined with the flat, graphic style does not have the same climatic effectperhaps if done in silk screen rather than digitally, it would be more compelling. Still, there is much for the dog lover and coastal dweller to enjoy. Attractive and crisp. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
