My Soccer Book

Reviewed with “My Baseball Book” “Ages 4-8. This pair of small, snappily designed books are attractive, accessible introductions to the two sports children are most likely to play. Diverse groups of young children, drawn in Gibbons’ typically bright colors and cheery style, demonstrate sports equiptment and game plays. Each book includes a diagram of the field, and a breif glossary explains sports basics, such as offense and teamwork as well as specific terms (“dribble,” “strike”). Margart Blackstone’s books, such as “This Is Soccer” (1999), which are written for the same young audience, catch the excitement of game play; these books make the sports understandable.- - “Booklist”Reviewed with “My Baseball Book”“In picture-book format, Gibbons provides the basic facts about two popular sports. Using short, clear sentences, she defines terms, explains the rules, and describes scoring. One line in each book mentions the equiptment neccessary for each game, but the information is well augmented by clearly labeled, colorful drawings showing additional gear, such as shin guards for soccer players or protective covering for the baseball catcher. Both books contain diagrams of the game fields…These informative books will be enjoyed by new players or spectators of older siblings’ events.” –“School Library Journal”

Gail Gibbons, author of more than one hundred books, is the winner of the Washington Post/Children”s Book Guild Award for her overall contribution to children”s nonfiction literature. Called a “master of picture book nonfiction” by ALA Booklist, Ms. Gibbons has a special talent for making complex subjects understandable and entertaining for young readers.