Sis, Peter. Madlenka Soccer Star. Farrar Straus Giroux. 2010.



Humor abounds in this sweet story about a little girl who loves to play soccer. She kicks her ball around her neighborhood, getting skillfully and playfully past a mailbox, a dog, a parking meter and a garbage can: Sis amusingly presents them as characters that interact with her as she guides her ball around them. Then she ends up playing a game with a bunch of cats, dressed in soccer outfits; the soccer net is created from a tree. She scores a fantastic goal and the “crowd” cheers. Finally, she meets up with her friend Cleopatra and they start playing a game. Soon a neighborhood of children is playing soccer on a grassy lot between the houses. Sis presents a dramatic backdrop of blue houses, and in front of them, the characters and actions take place in bright colors. Delightful!