No author that I recall.  It was a small [~3-4″ by ~6-7″] hardback book with glossy color cover. A leaf-green border and white center background with a red ball [it might have had a yellow stripe around it].

The first line on the first page is: “The ball lay on the ground wanting to be thrown.” It is the tale of the adventure of this ball being tossed from place to place by random individuals. Not more than 20 pages total, probably less. It ended on the last page with: ” … wanting to be thrown again … ”

I thought it was from Germany; my husband thought it was from France. But neither of us recalls ever actually reading the publication/copyright page.

We bought it in a little boutique toy store [long gone] in Pasadena in the mid to late 80s.

I wish I had more details. It disappeared from my goddaughter’s room, and was never found. I have a new grandson, and would love to find it for him.