BALLY THE AMAZING WONDERBALL

A theatrical performance goes to the dogs, literally.

An unseen announcer lets the star of the show know that there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the performance has sold out! The bad news? The entire audience is made up of canines. This wouldn’t be a problem if that star weren’t BALLy, an actual ball with big, expressive eyes. When BALLy refuses to go on, the announcer makes every dog in the audience sign a contract vowing not to “chase, bite, lick or excessively sniff” the star. Satisfied, BALLy performs a series of spins and rolls, much to the dogs’ excitement. Unfortunately, Sprinkles the Dalmatian comes out of nowhere and upends the performance. Can the show go on? Probably not, after the announcer is revealed to be…a squirrel. The read-aloud qualities of Morris’ text are abundant, certain to deeply amuse all those who have ever tried to reason with a dog of their own (“DROP IT. Droooop it”). Morris’ deft mixed-media collages perfectly convey the overenthusiasm of the pooches, as well as BALLy’s own subtle shifts in mood. Adult readers will also appreciate the multitude of tiny humorous details, like BALLy’s fan mail and the fine print on the dog contract.

Dog lovers and theater fans unite at last with this bouncy bevy of delights.