by Patty Rodriguez & Ariana Stein ; illustrated by Citlali Reyes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 22, 2020
Despite the clipped content, a bilingual board-book biography about a person of color is a welcome addition.
A compact biography of the legendary Brazilian soccer player.
On the verso, one-sentence facts, in clear Spanish and English, are doled out to readers opposite a full-page scene from Pelé’s life on the recto. Though voiced straightforwardly, many of the facts are interesting, such as that Pelé learned the game from his father using a ball made from a sock stuffed with newspaper. Others pieces of information feel incomplete, such as that Pelé was named after Thomas Edison—Edson Arantes do Nascimento—but readers never learn how he got the unique nickname by which he is known. In both the English and the Spanish texts, one key vocabulary word is printed in a bold and bright type, but some of the word selections are not obvious for toddler readers, who don’t know much about him (beautiful and bonito are set in boldface because that is the word Pelé used to describe the game, for instance). Simple cartoon people with slightly oversized heads are featured in the scenes of Pelé’s life, but, along with his teammates, Pelé never looks like he is older than age 12 even when he joins Brazil’s national team or he is surrounded by a diverse group of children he is teaching. Likely the most successful illustration is the gallery resembling a hall-of-fame exhibit highlighting Pelé’s achievement of scoring over 1,000 goals in his career.
Despite the clipped content, a bilingual board-book biography about a person of color is a welcome addition. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-947971-53-0
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Lil' Libros
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More by Patty Rodriguez
BOOK REVIEW
by Patty Rodriguez & Ariana Stein ; illustrated by Citlali Reyes
BOOK REVIEW
by Patty Rodriguez & Ariana Stein ; illustrated by Citlali Reyes
BOOK REVIEW
by Patty Rodriguez & Ariana Stein ; illustrated by Citlali Reyes
by Nancy Hall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 28, 2018
Colorful, informative introduction to soccer.
A child’s first introduction to soccer in a board-book format, shaped like a soccer ball.
Each page of simple text presenting basic terminology is accompanied by photographs of multiethnic children engaged in playing soccer along with a close-up of a referee and a diagram of the 11 team positions on the field. The photographs are well-designed, visually conveying the meaning of the text (for “two teams,” two young players, one wearing a red jersey and one in blue, are pictured; the page explaining that hands are not used in the sport shows a close-up of players’ shoes). Action shots picture the free kick/penalty kick and corner kick. Diagrams of the field and player positions as well as some of the rules will be obscure for the audience: “Sometimes a player wins a FREE KICK or a PENALTY KICK. / Sometimes a player takes a CORNER KICK.” Children held in the laps of enthusiastic, knowledgeable adults will fare best, and those who are lucky enough to play in leagues for the very young will be able to integrate the information.
Colorful, informative introduction to soccer. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3136-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Nancy Hall
BOOK REVIEW
by Nancy Hall ; illustrated by Nancy Hall
BOOK REVIEW
by Nancy Hall
by Joan Holub ; illustrated by Daniel Roode ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 25, 2018
A mismatch in every way.
An introduction to 10 scientists for the youngest readers.
Each historical or modern figure is featured on their own double-page spread, which includes a close-up portrait and rhyming couplets on the verso, and the facing page features the scientist in action and a caption of a sentence or two offering more information about their work but often written at a level far beyond the board-book audience’s developmental capacity. The usual suspects are here, including Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, but women and scientists of color can also be found, such as naturalist and painter Maria Sibylla Merian and particle physicist Sau Lan Wu. The verse is strained, forced, and often doesn’t scan (for Katherine Johnson: “This little scientist got the math right / to help NASA astronauts launch outer space flight”). In an evident attempt to be cute, the phrase “This little scientist…” introduces the figures and has the effect of demeaning the women, people of color, and people with disabilities depicted. The art, like others in the This Little series, features bobbleheaded caricatures of each figure in bold colors. The final two pages present 17 additional scientists in portraiture from throughout history and around the world and a brief caption, with a blank space left open for “You!”
A mismatch in every way. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0108-2
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Joan Holub ; illustrated by Daniel Roode
by Joan Holub ; illustrated by Daniel Roode
by Joan Holub ; illustrated by Daniel Roode
More by Joan Holub
BOOK REVIEW
by Joan Holub ; illustrated by Laurie Keller
BOOK REVIEW
by Joan Holub ; illustrated by The Little Friends of Printmaking
BOOK REVIEW
by Joan Holub ; illustrated by Daniel Roode
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.