Kelley Donner

Ball! Ball! Ball!: A picture book to inspire sensory awareness - Happy Heads Kelley Donner

The no.1 new release on Amazon.com in Special Needs Children's Health (June 2019 - Paperback), debut author and illustrator Kelley Donner's heartwarming picture book Ball! Ball! Ball! is about a boy with autism and his fascination with all things round. The first in the Happy Heads series, it focuses on sensory awareness and self-discovery.

Tom enthusiastically points out any object he can find that resembles a ball. From peas to balloons, Tom learns that "balls" can be smooth or squishy, can pop, and even have different temperatures. A delightfully, uplifting sensory story, Ball! Ball! Ball! shows that even love can appear in the shape of a ball.

Kelley Donner has worked as an educator for over twenty years in various settings across the US, Germany, and the UK. She currently works full-time as a writer/illustrator and is a mother to three sons. As an advocate for children with special needs and autism, she strongly believes that all children need representation in literature, especially picture books.

Each book in the Happy Heads Series tells the story of one child with special needs and/or autism and his or her individual challenges and triumphs. Ball! Ball! Ball! is about Tom, a young exuberant boy with autism who speaks only a few words and is fascinated with round objects. This is Tom's story.

If you are interested in using Ball! Ball! Ball! in your special education classroom, see Kelley's website kelleydonner.com for more information, such as a blog article about a visit she made to a special education classroom in a primary school in London along with fun sensory tie-in activities.