THIS IS HOW A BALL ROLLS

It’s “Game on!” thanks to balls, from glass marbles to the “human hamster balls” called zorbs.

Saluting a dozen types of round balls in roughly ascending order of size, Tekavec generates enough enthusiasm to put plenty of zip into her rolling, bouncing narrative. Most of the balls she describes are made to bounce, with marbles, bowling balls, soft juggler’s balls (made of “leather and beans”), and, arguably, baseballs being the exceptions. On each page, the author pairs upbeat verse with further facts in prose: “Basketballs need to be grippy, not slippy”; fuzz on a tennis ball slows it down so that players won’t break their rackets while swinging at it. Depicting a racially and culturally diverse cast, Ogawa cranks up the energy even further with scenes of excited young people (including some in hijabs, some in wheelchairs, and some in both) playing in or spectating both organized games and general rumpuses. Along with having a chance to learn a little more about different balls, including some less familiar ones like yoga balls and the Kin-Ball (the “biggest sports ball in the world”), readers will come away with light doses of scientific background on relevant topics from elasticity to trajectories and aerodynamics.

The author and illustrator have a ball with their subject, and so will readers.