Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2018
School Library Journal Best Book of 2018
The Horn Book Best Picture Book of 2018
Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of the Year
Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
A soccer story--for boy and girls alike!
"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?
The world's most popular and inclusive sport has found its spirited,
poetic, and authentic voice in Baptiste Paul's debut picture
book--highlighting the joys of the game along with its universal themes:
teamwork, leadership, diversity, and acceptance. Creole words (as spoken
in St. Lucia, the author's birthplace island in the Caribbean) add spice
to the story and are a strong reminder of the sport's world fame. Bright
and brilliant illustrations by debut children's book illustrator
Jacqueline Alcántara--winner of the We Need Diverse Books Illustration
Mentorship Award--capture the grit and glory of the game and the beauty
of the island setting where this particular field was inspired.
Soccer fan or not, the call of The Field is irresistible.
