Commentaire descriptif

This simple story is rich in visual information, with minimal text that involves imperative commands: “Jump!” “Catch!” “Run!” Graphic-style spreads illustrate various scenes in which a yellow dog pursues his red ball. Staggered-size pages create wordless sequences reminiscent of flip-book animation. This allows readers to suggest command-words as they turn pages. There is an opportunity to discuss the interplay of ball and dog, and the various commotions they cause. In one sequence, the ball descends on a queue of people waiting for a bus. Flipping the short page reveals the ball bouncing off someone’s head, as his neighbour laughs. A flip of the medium-size page shows them arguing, as a third person catches the ball. “Go!” reads the subsequent spread, as the dog pursues the ball’s trajectory off the page (and a scuffle breaks out in the queue). Kids on a trampoline, a couple wooing each other in the park, and a giraffe at the zoo are among the many characters encountered by dog and ball. The final sequence shows the ball rolling to a boy reading in the shade—followed by a hugging, tail-wagging reunion: “Good Dog!”