TINY T. REX TRIES SOCCER

The latest book in this character-building series finds Tiny T. Rex determined to become a better soccer player.

If there was ever a sport for which having short arms is no disadvantage, it’s soccer. Even so, stubby-armed, pint-size cutie-pie narrator Tiny T. Rex, who is finally old enough to play on a soccer team, just doesn’t seem to have the chops. At practice, “when I try to dribble…the ball dribbles me instead.” Tiny’s cousin and older siblings have what it takes on the pitch, which demoralizes Tiny. But after plenty of practice, Tiny finds a way to shine: “I am ready to use MY special skill…being TINY!”—meaning small enough to zip between a hulking dino opponent’s legs and bash the ball into the net. This sturdy tale of perseverance will work for a general audience of littles, but the book’s specificity—there’s stuff on passing, shooting, juggling, and soccer gear and a concluding spread titled “Tiny’s Tips for Soccer Success!”—suggests that the target readership’s interest in the sport is presumed. The entire story is set on or beside a soccer field, but Fleck’s chunky, digitally colored pencil art skirts the problem of monotonous visuals by alternating among close-ups, wide shots, and views from on high and by rendering the dino cast in the bold colors of sports mascots.

Good for kids who need a nudge about perseverance. Extra good for budding soccer players.