A Ball for Daisy

A little dog named Daisy loves her red ball more than anything — until another dog at the park accidentally pops it, leaving her heartbroken, in a wordless story told entirely through watercolor illustrations.

For the kid who can't sleep without one particular stuffed animal, this wordless story puts their exact heartbreak on the page — and shows it gets better.

• Big idea: Losing something you love is real grief, even when it's small, and there's a way through it.
• Vibes: tender, quiet, emotionally honest, with a warm and hopeful close

• are working on coping with loss of a favorite toy or object
• respond well to wordless picture books they narrate themselves
• love dogs and dog park scenes
• are learning to name and talk about big feelings

• Story & observation: What was Daisy's ball like, and what did she love to do with it?
• Feelings & empathy: How could you tell Daisy was sad after her ball popped, just from the pictures?
• Real-life connection: Have you ever lost or broken something you loved? What happened?
• Imagination: What do you think Daisy was thinking about on her walk after the ball popped?
• Wordless storytelling: How does Chris Raschka show us the story without using any words?