Ball

In this energetic addition to the Baby Unplugged line (a reworking of a 2012 book of the same name, illustrated by Andrea Kang), Hutton deploys an appropriately bouncy series of rhymes to celebrate balls of every shape, size, and type: "Big ball. Tiny ball./ Round ball. Shiny ball./ Snowball, clay ball, / game ball, play ball!" Jones's carefully detailed, warmly appealing images switch up the settings from page to page, bringing readers from the beach to the playground and a backyard as kids of different ethnic backgrounds toss balls to each other, play fetch, and try different sports. Up to age 3. (Apr.)

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"These books work on so many levels, with poetry to hear, pictures to talk about, and a powerful message. They give children just the sort of delightful and mind-expanding experiences they need, while leading parents to see the child's world through a creative and joyful lens. Wonderful medicine for an overly electronic age!" —Dr. Robert Needlman, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and cofounder, Reach Out and Read