The children’s soccer leagues restarted for the season at the sports fields near my home recently. To mark their return, I’m featuring two diverse soccer stories today.
The Field
Author: Baptiste Paul
Illustrator: Jacqueline Alcántara
Publisher/Date: North-South Books/2018
Ages: 4-8
Themes: soccer, teamwork, play, St. Lucia (Caribbean), #WNDB, #ReadYourWorld
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
“Vini! Come! The field calls!” cries a girl as she and her younger brother rouse their community—family, friends, and the local fruit vendor—for a pickup soccer (futbol) game. Boys and girls, young and old, players and spectators come running—bearing balls, shoes, goals, and a love of the sport.
“Friends versus friends” teams are formed, the field is cleared of cows, and the game begins! But will a tropical rainstorm threaten their plans?
Read my review.
Pelé: King of Soccer (El rey del fútbol)
Author: Monica Brown
Illustrator: Rudy Gutiérrez
Publisher/Date: Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers/2009
Ages: 4-8
Themes: biography, dual-language (English & Spanish), soccer, #WNDB, #ReadYourWorld
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Monica Brown and Rudy Gutierrez team up to deliver what Kirkus called, in a starred review, an “inspiring blend of art and story,” about the most famous soccer star in the world, Pelé. This bilingual picture book will inspire, teach, and amaze readers as they learn about the man who revolutionized the sport of soccer.
Do you know how a poor boy from Brazil who loved fútbol more than anything else became the biggest soccer star the world has ever known? This is the true story of Pelé, King of Soccer, the first man in the history of the sport to score a thousand goals and become a living legend. Rudy Gutierrez’s dynamic illustrations make award-winning author Monica Brown’s story of this remarkable sports hero come alive!
Read a review at Kirkus Reviews.
I paired these books because soccer is the main subject of both. Although The Field is fiction and Pelé is a biography, both feature language that made me feel the motion and emotion of a soccer match. Both also feature children who play soccer on improvised fields, in Pelé’s case using a grapefruit or “an old sock with newspapers”. I love how the fictional players found happiness playing soccer in The Field and how the real Pelé loved soccer and found success playing it.
For more soccer books, see Pragmatic Mom’s recent #OwnVoices Diversity Soccer Books for Kids list.
Wander, Ponder, Write 
Great post 😃
Nice pairing. I remember Pelés popularity. Kids love him. And, I didn’t realize Baptiste Paul had a new book out. Love his books. They are both great multicultural shares.