On the Ball

June 8, 2015
Working with loose brushstrokes and swirls that mimic his hero’s movements, Pinkney (Martin & Mahalia) presents a portrait of a boy who learns that physical grace comes from a mysterious place inside him. Owen struggles to keep up
on the soccer field, and one day, as he sits glumly on the bench recovering from a spill, the ball rolls downhill and bounces away. “It was up to Owen to chase it down and bring it back.” The ball tumbles into a swiftly flowing stream, and Owen
follows. He’s rolled and buffeted by the rapids, but something about this new adventure frees him from his sullen
complacency. Now he imagines himself
a tiger and pounces after the ball. When the ball flies off a cliff, Owen sprouts wings that let him fly. Finally, he carries the ball back to the field with new pride. Pinkney’s strokes create force across every page, conveying the idea that the body in motion offers pleasure for its own sake. The promotion of exercise often depends on false cheer or blandishments; Pinkney shows it as a simple joy. Ages 3–5. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.

Starred review from July 15, 2015
Failing to keep his eye on the soccer ball, a player finds himself on an eventful chase to catch the runaway plaything. Owen loves playing soccer, but he isn't a star. One day, while sitting on the bench during a game, he takes his eye off the ball, and it escapes-almost literally, rolling away through a nearby hole in the fence. Determined to retrieve the ball, Owen chases it across a stream, tracks it into underbrush, and returns to the game-where he now handles the ball like a pro. The strategically placed minimalist text belies the breathtaking visual rendition of Owen's quest to catch the rogue ball. Sprightly watercolor illustrations in loose, fluid brush strokes and calligraphic lines generate a dynamic energy relentlessly propelling Owen from page to page across double-page spreads. Pinkney shows light-skinned, African-American Owen battling tsunami-sized waves, submerged and tossed in swirling water amid an onomatopoeic "whooooosh." Reaching the shore, Owen morphs into a bold tiger, bouncing and pouncing the ball through the brush to the cliff's edge, where he suddenly sprouts wings and acrobatically dives and swoops to capture the ball. He returns triumphantly to the game as a "floating, fierce, and flying free" soccer player who always keeps his eye "ON THE BALL!" An inspired, exhilarating portrait of the transforming power of imagination, with special appeal for aspiring soccer stars. (Picture book. 3-5)

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Starred review from October 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Owen is a young boy who loves playing ball, but "playing ball didn't always love Owen." When he is benched at a soccer game, the ball takes on a life of its own. Owen follows it into a fantasy world-a down-the-rabbit-hole adventure-where he becomes a sea creature, a tiger, and a bird before returning back to the field. With these newly acquired abilities to float, pounce, and fly, his soccer skills are supreme, and the last page features a martial arts-style spinning air kick into the goal. The illustrations, with their loose and fluid watercolors with India ink outlines, recall Chris Raschka's work and perfectly reflect the fast-paced nature of a soccer game. The brown-skinned soccer-playing boy is a wonderful addition to the genre of sports picture books, as the title celebrates the triumph of a playful mind and its connection to the body. VERDICT A joyful selection for all collections.-Lisa Nowlain, Darien Library, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
Preschool-G Owen is not totally great at soccer. Pinkney's opening brushstroke-heavy pages show a leaping, loopy Owen trip over the ball and slump his way to the bench. But when the ball gets loose, he embarks on a fantastic imaginary journey to retrieve it. First, he floats after the ball on a stream: Whooooosh! Whooooosh! Then, he transforms into a tiger and tracks it through the jungle: Pounce! Bounce! Finally, Owen grows wings and lightly flies the ball back to the field, where, back in the game, he uses his newfound skills to score a goal. On crisp white backgrounds with only a few words per page, Pinkney's loose, skittering watercolor lines in vibrant hues suggest abstract figures and scenes and echo the wild movement of the players and ball. With a large, expressive font and straightforward text, this would be a great choice for storytime. Little ones feeling awkward about sports fumbles will likely be heartened by Owen's triumph and emboldened by his imaginative and playful solution.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)