Will Gmehling & Antje Damm
At the Very Beginning Was the Ball
Kiki, Coco, Klaas and Kalle, every burbot, every jellyfish – they all love football, all of them!
As fast-paced and cheeky as a rap song, this picture book celebrates football as a passion that spans the globe: Me near the Rhine and you in Riga, 5th league or national league, Lapland or Senegal, Greenland, Tokyo, Wuppertal – it is not important and it doesn’t matter!
Reading Will Gmehling’s verses aloud is both fun and a challenge. And fans will be happy to go into extra time to discover the countless little stories in Antje Damm’s witty and humorous pictures!
Peter Hammer Verlag
Picture Book
Original title: Ganz am Anfang war der Ball
Age 4+
32 pp | € 15
hc | 210 x 258 mm
Publication: July 2025
Author: Will Gmehling
Illustrator: Antje Damm
All rights available
- Look inside
- Book trailer
- For football fans from every country and every league
- Exuberantly illustrated
- Rhymes in Champions League quality
Awards
- Nominated for the German Children's Literature Award 2026
“Will Gmehlings’ rhymes are consistently sharp and a sensual delight (…) A picture book home run!” – Christine Pfeiffer-Ulm, 1001 Buch
“A delightful read-aloud treat for the whole family.” – Martina Engel, Badische Zeitung
“Details rich with allusions, witty perspectives, enthusiasm, and understatement. Bring on the World Cup!“ – Seitenweise Kinderliteratur
”A true treat for fans of Germany’s most popular sport.“ – Bodo Pohla, EKZ
”A picture book for all soccer fans between the ages of 3 and 99!” – Gabriele Güterbock-Rottkord, Buchprofile
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