Apr 12, 2012

Madlenka Soccer Star

Madlenka Soccer Star (CAN, JP, US, INT)

Written and illustrated by: Peter Sís

Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Published on: September 28, 2010

Ages 4+








My soccer-mad son picked this out at our city's English bookstore, he was so excited to see a book about soccer! In English!

Madlenka's debut book was a critical darling in 2000, receiving accolades from Horn Book, Publisher's Weekly, and the New York Times Book Review. The views of an urban neighbourhood and its varied inhabitants were unique and influential.

Ten years later




What made the original Madlenka so endearing was her interactions with her multilingual neighbours. That doesn't occur in this book, sadly. However, the very unique vantage point of the city block is still a feature of Madlenka Soccer Star. This is a great book to introduce urban landscapes to youngsters, as well as to point out how soccer can truly be played anywhere.

The last few pages have Madlenka on a field but no text so we weren't sure what to make of it. The flags of all FIFA nations do show up on one of these pages though so that was fun to see even without an explanation.

Despite its drawbacks, a child who loves soccer will be interested in this book and the imaginative ball play it may be a catalyst for!

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