FICTION

My First Book of Soccer: Mostly Everything Explained About the Game

by Mark Bechtel
BUGLER, Beth & . illus. by Bill Hinds. 48p. (A Rookie Book). photos. Time/Sports Illustrated. May 2017. Tr $11.99. ISBN 9781683300021.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3—Bugler and Bechtel illuminate the basics of soccer for little ones. Children will learn about the function of the referee, the linesmen, the goalkeeper, the forwards, the defenders, and the midfielders. The colorful book is organized into bright green, orange, yellow, and blue spreads, and the large white text guides readers through a fictional game. Also covered are soccer techniques, such as dribbles, tackles, passes, throw-ins, corner kicks, and headers. Hinds's cartoon boy and girl characters accompany photographs of real-life players, making for a wonderful mix of reality and imagination.
VERDICT Perfect for new soccer lovers and longtime aficionados.
Reviewed by Kathia Ibacache, Simi Valley Public Library, CA
This friendly, brightly colored introduction to soccer, divided into sections by the game's two halves, is only partially successful. There's no continuity to the mixed-media art, which includes action photos of pro players (making distracting comments via speech bubbles) as well as two cartoon kids who follow the action. Key terms appear in large text throughout, but a glossary would have been helpful.
 , Apr 01, 2017

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