Catch the Ball!

by Eric Carle

Out of print for ten years, an interactive book helps preschoolers develop hand-eye coordination as they have fun pulling a ball on a string through die-cut pages as a series of animals try to catch it.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

12 pages, Board book

First published October 8, 1982

About the author

Eric Carle was an American author, designer and illustrator of children's books. His picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, first published in 1969, has been translated into more than 66 languages and sold more than 50 million copies. Carle's career as an illustrator and children's book author accelerated after he collaborated on Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?. Carle illustrated more than 70 books, most of which he also wrote, and more than 145 million copies of his books have been sold around the world.
In 2003, the American Library Association awarded Carle the biennial Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal (now called the Children's Literature Legacy Award), a prize for writers or illustrators of children's books published in the U.S. who have made lasting contributions to the field. Carle was also a U.S. nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2010.

Reviews

[midnightfaerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for preschoolers and younger. The illustrations are adorable and the simple language was easily repeatable my my 3 yr olds. No educational value except for reading and instilling the love of books in your child! Highly recommended for the smaller children.

[Canette Arille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for children, where they can drag a string with a paper ball from one animal to another. Very creative and educational. Children can imagine that they are part of the book, and interfere in the lives of animals.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute! The ball itself is a movable reinforced piece of paper (cardboard?) that vacillates through cut-out holes in each page. It felt like the animals were playing the sort of uncoordinated tether-ball beloved in "Napoleon Dynamite".

[Wetdryvac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, short, and fun.

[Andre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of Carle's. The ball moving on the string is a blast for my 1 yr old.