Fox plays ball

PreS-Gr 3--A fun read about a mixed group of animals who are competitive no matter their size. Fox wants to play ball, and soon is joined by Elephant, Bear, and Rabbit in a game officiated by Penguin. Snail does not want to miss out, even though he is such a small creature. Elephant kicks the ball to start the game. It soars. Illustrations show the ball going far away, into the mountains and trees, and the animals scurry to claim their prize. Fox is elated when he gets to the ball first. Little does he know the punishment his body is about to take: Rabbit, Bear, and Elephant pile on top of him, causing the ball to squirt out. Snail claims victory, proving that underdogs can win, even if the odds are against them. Readers will love seeing unlikely friends playing together. Lively illustrations capture the game and the players' emotions as they chase the ball. A spread with the animals chasing the ball as it repeatedly goes "boing" off trees, rocks, and hills is laugh-out-loud funny. The expression on Bear's face as he concentrates while trying to catch the ball is phenomenal. For further whimsy, Rabbit uses a kitchen colander as a football helmet. This book will appeal to parents and caregivers as a solid teaching tool. A note before the story offers guidance on using I Can Read titles for shared reading, reading with help, beginning reading, and reading alone. VERDICT A must-have for all elementary collections.--Pamela Thompson McLeod

New readers win when they play football with Fox and company. Fox's spiky ears emerge from an old-school helmet, Bear wears purple vintage headgear, Elephant has donned a baseball cap, and Rabbit sports an upside-down sieve. Wearing only the standard shell, Snail wants to play, too--cheered on by a ladybug fan (alas, not Tabor's Sir Ladybug character). Everyone wants to win! Steadying the ball with a trunk, Elephant expertly lofts it "far…very far"--toward a nearby snowcapped mountain. The chase is on: The animals speed after the ball on a skateboard, a scooter, and a bike, while unflappably smiling Snail moves at a snail's pace. As the ball ricochets dramatically (depicted with rapidly careening dotted lines), Fox, Rabbit, Bear, and Elephant all miss the catch--as does Snail. When the animals all dive for the ball, Snail sensibly seeks the shell's security. Because they all pile on Fox, the ball pops out…right to Snail! As the ladybug wildly applauds, Snail wins! And Fox sportingly congratulates the winner with "Good game!" Tabor's perennially clever, stylish art offers unexpected perspectives and angles, and the action scenes will keep readers in suspense. In the more sedate scenes, the understated illustrations will allow youngsters to concentrate on the few and well-chosen words and to appreciate Tabor's subtle scene-setting, buildup, and humor. Another victory from a master of the early reader.(Early reader. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.