This is a ball by Beck and Matt Stanton

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ABC Books, 2015. ISBN 9780733334351
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Humourous stories. Beck and Matt Stanton's picture book This is a ball is similar in style to BJ Novak's bestseller The book with no pictures. From the greeting and questions at the beginning through to the range of simple statements and totally different illustrations - ball and cube, dog and elephant, the reader is drawn in. If an adult is reading, the audience is immediately involved, laughing and commenting, pointing out their mistakes.
The bold black outlines, simple stylised illustrations, strong use of colour placed on white backgrounds make this visually appealing. The text begins simply, adding characters and actions as it builds the story from simple statements - this is a kite, to the monster telling the story of the princess flying her kite at the beach with her dog. A conversation with the reader continues in smaller font, questioning what is really being seen on each page. This book stretches the imagination and causes the reader not to take the book at face value. An entertaining story to share, one that will be loved by children more than adults!
Rhyllis Bignell

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