Bella and the Lost Ball
by Kateřina Svozilová, Mag Takac (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Bella has lost her favorite ball. She asks the animals for help, and tries to describe the ball to them so they can help her find it. The bird has seen something beautiful, but it is not Bella’s ball. The butterfly has seen something red, but it is not Bella’s ball. The cat has seen something round, but… nope. The dog has seen something with dots on it, but it’s no use. Bella has to continue the search to remember where she left her ball.

This is such a cute story! I love the repetitiveness as Bella asks the different animals whether they have seen her ball, adding another descriptive term each time. And it’s so funny to see all the mistaken things they lead her to as they try to find something that matches her description. Adorable!

I love the beautiful illustrations! Every page is so colorful and bright with whimsical animal characters. I love the flowing lines of the artwork. I love that Bella’s hair is wild and windblown. I love the cute designs of the animals and the beautiful country setting all around Bella’s house.

The only thing that I thought was strange about this book was the size of the dog. The other animals have normal proportions, and then there is this huge dog that appears to be five feet tall! Bella is completely dwarfed by this massive dog, and she evens rides on his back! Assuming that Bella is about 6-7 years old and probably around 3 feet tall, then the dog has to be between 5-6 feet tall with all four paws on the ground, not even jumping up on its hindlegs. I’m just so confused by this weird dog! haha!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.