Rajah and the Big Blue Ball by Mosetta Penick Phillips-Cermak (sw)

Rajah, the big black dog, likes to play in his big back yard.
He chases the leaves. He sniffs the air every day. It is his favorite place.

One day a strange thing happens. Something hits Rajah on the head. It scares him.

A blue ball is up in the sky.

Where did the ball come from? Did it do it on purpose? Did it want to make him afraid?

Rajah has to find the courage to take back his own world.

Written by the author of The Wishing Flower and The Magic of Laven-Rock, Rajah and the Big Blue Ball looks into the face of the unknown.

Reviews:

Children will find Rajah and the Big Blue Ball by Mosetta Penick Phillips-Cermak a delightful book that will quickly take its place among their all-time favorites. Through the excellent photographs, young readers will identify with the animals and fish, enjoying their individual looks that match their personalities.

Rajah, the main character, is a big black dog who lives in a 16-room house with Mommy Maia and three cats. Outside the house is small pond, circled by 16 trees. Living in the pond are Mr. and Mrs. Fish with their 14 children.

It is obvious that Rajah is a blessed dog, especially happy with his surroundings and the knowledge that Mommy Maia loves him. Three times a day he goes into the yard where he runs, plays, sniffs, and always visits one of his very favorite trees. It is a tree that smells like Christmas and stays green all the time. But one day everything changes when a blue ball knocks a pinecone on Rajah’s head. The ball then disappears, leaving Rajah puzzled; however, he convinces himself that it was probably a one-time accident. But, when it happens again the next time he goes outside, Rajah runs to the house and scratches at the glass patio door, whimpering for Mommy Maia to hurry up and let him back in. She senses something is wrong, lovingly questions him, and calls him a brave dog.

Readers recognize that Rajah is no longer the joyful dog that he had been before the blue ball attacked him. But where did the ball come from and where did it go?

Just like we humans often do, Rajah decides to seek the advice of a friend, who consults with another friend, about the problem. In doing this, the word “magic” comes up, but he doesn’t even know what it means—something he will learn later on. Desperate for answers, Rajah decides to go to the pond and see if the fish could help him. After all, the pond was close to the tree that smelled like Christmas, so maybe the fishes had seen something.

Rajah recalls how Mommy Maia had said that he was brave, so he decides to prove that this is indeed true. He dares to go outside again and runs non-stop to the pond where he questions the fishes. Bravely, he approaches the pond and gets some advice from Mrs. Fish. But did this advice solve the problem? Did the blue ball in the sky deliberately try to hurt him?

Besides being entertaining, this book teaches children many things such as not being afraid to seek advice from others and facing puzzling situations bravely but with caution. It also teaches them that talking to those causing problems can often bring about a positive resolution.

Rajah and the Big Blue Ball is well-written and designed by an author whose background as a counselor and teacher comes through in the storyline that children will find mesmerizing. I consider it a “must-read” and I give it my highest recommendation.

Bettie Corbin Tucker For Independent Professional Book Reviewers June 06, 2009

Rajah is a big black dog who enjoys a comfortable living in the spacious house and sprawling yard that he shares with his owner and other furry friends. Every day, he happily explores the grounds, checking out his favorite places and making sure that everything is as it should be, and each new day fills him with the same sense of joy and peace as he rollicks around without a care in the world.

One day, though, something strange happens: as Rajah is visiting his favorite tree, a pinecone suddenly drops onto his head. Stunned, Rajah looks up, only to catch a fleeting glimpse of what appears to be a big blue ball high up in the tree, lingering momentarily before vanishing from sight. Though he’s slightly confused by what’s transpired, Rajah nonetheless visits the tree again the next day – and, sure enough, another pinecone whacks him on the head, just like before.

Refusing to be thrown for a loop by the strange turn of events, Rajah launches a cautious investigation into the suspicious matters, ultimately discovering that it has less to do with magic and mystery and more to do with his own personal behavioral patterns…

Rajah And The Big Blue Ball is a delightful, entertaining read. Skillfully penned for a younger audience, it possesses a special appeal for older readers as well, as it presents an enlightening commentary on the trappings of curiosity, with which we are all familiar on some level. Coupled with colorful, vivid pictures and attention-grabbing visual imagery, author Mosetta Phillips-Cermak’s amusing tale moves along at an enjoyable pace, making it perfect for bedtime readings and campfire gatherings worldwide. A recommended literary treat.

Reviewed By Latonya Franklin

Official Apex Reviews Rating: 4-stars out of 5-stars

Title: Rajah and the Big Blue Ball

ISBN: 9780981777740

Author: Mosetta Penick Phillips-Cermak

Publisher: P.M. Moon Publishers, LLC

Additional Features:

hardcover/48 pages/approx. size 8.375" x 8.375"/ trade

About the Author:

Mosetta M. Penick Phillips-Cermak, Ph.D. lives with her two Labrador Retrievers, one black and one yellow, and two Siamese cats in West Park, Ohio. Dr. Penick Phillips-Cermak is the mother of two, grandmother of two, and great grandmother of two. A native of Cleveland Ohio, from a family of educators, she is a retired psychotherapist/counselor and a teacher of many years. Over the years, she has taught everything from kindergarten through teacher education, English, psychology and sociology. Mosetta’s first short, short story was published in the local newspaper when ,at the age of ten, she won first prize in a creative writing contest. In college, her literary essays and short stories were published in the colleges’ literary magazine, The Spectrum. Eventually, she rose to serve as editor-in-chief of the very same magazine. A woman with a myriad of talents, she performed as both an instrumentalist and vocalist, played the piano and flute, as well as teaching chorus, and both instruments. She is also a dog trainer, registered with the State of Ohio to train and certify Handicap Assistant Dogs. A relatively well-known speaker in the Cleveland area, this writer has presented more than a dozen papers and workshops throughout the State of Ohio. A minister ordained in 1980, she states that her main strength resides in her absolute faith and tenacity, a desire to know all that is knowable, a love of research, and the ability to consistently identify the truth of any subject matter. She is a member of has attended numerous writers’ workshops, and is currently active in a critique group. She also has completed several other short stories, a children’s interactive picture book to teach educational concepts, and her first middle-grade children’s fantasy novel that she expects will be published soon.

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