Fall Ball

K-Gr 1—McCarty's expert pen-and-ink and watercolor style lends a crispness so powerful that readers of this ode to fall may find themselves reaching for a warm blanket and a cup of cocoa after the very first leaf-filled spread. A large yellow school bus bounces along an old bumpy road, carrying children eagerly anticipating a chance to play outside. Bobby organizes a gang of neighborhood kids for a game of football, but Jimmy dutifully, if unrealistically, chooses to keep raking leaves-a chore complicated by a feisty dog. When Sparky intercepts a pass and carries it straight through Jimmy's carefully raked pile, they all end up covered in crunchy leaves. The illustrations turn dusky-hued and moms start calling out names, bidding children home as snowflakes start falling. At first they protest, but "back in the house, there are good things to eat. There are cozy pajamas and warm blankets." And, the final spread shows a family of three wedged onto a couch together, more football to watch. While the story lacks McCarty's usual emotional nuance, readers will certainly identify with the reluctance to come inside and the joys of warm indoor family time. Families and educators will welcome this addition to the compendium of fall stories.—Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH