Madani's Best Game

August 1, 2022
A celebration of a neighborhood soccer team's star player. "Our whole neighborhood knows it: No one plays soccer like Madani does." Though he may not be the tallest or the fastest, he definitely stands out--because he doesn't wear any shoes when he plays and because there's nothing he can't do with the ball. "Madani makes the ball twirl and passes it from one side to the other. He hides it between his legs, shrugs it over his shoulders, catches it on his head...." Madani's mother is unable to come watch the games because she is a seamstress and must finish her work. But as she sews, she hears the game's cheers. Madani's teammates imagine how much better Madani could play with a pair of cleats. When he hints that he is saving money for something that will improve his game, they hope his cleats come in time before their match against a rival team. But instead, he buys something else--something that allows his mother to hear the cheers firsthand and joyfully join in. Pintadera's author's note mentions that working with immigrant families--including a boy named Madani--inspired this story. Madani has dark hair and light skin; most characters are light-skinned. Smudgy, sepia-tinged tones warm the palette of this already heartwarming story. Translated from Spanish, the lyrical text is by turns poignant and triumphant. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An unselfish gift given from the biggest heart. (Picture book. 4-7)

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September 15, 2022
Grades K-2 Everyone knows that "no one plays soccer like Madani does." Madani is the best soccer player his town has seen--and he plays barefooted. When he scores a goal, the celebration echoes all the way up to his house, where his hard-working mother proudly hears the cheers. His teammates imagine how Madani would play even better with cleats, and they burst with excitement when the boy takes the coins he's been saving in a metal tin to go shopping before a match with a rival team. Madani and his teammates have different ideas about what would make their games "better than ever," though, and Madani's ultimate purchase delivers an uplifting message of generosity with a different goal in mind. Translated from Spanish, the well-paced and kindly first-person-plural text was inspired, per a note, by the author's work in immigrant neighborhoods. Lively illustrations, rendered in pencil, gouache, and colored pencil, make great use of white space and feature a rosy-cheeked, bustling community in warm sepias with smudged lines. An enthusiastic and altruistic heartwarmer.

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Starred review from September 1, 2022
On a playing field in a city neighborhood's central square, young Madani, a recent arrival, is the best player on his soccer team. He plays barefoot, and his teammates speculate how much better, even, he would play if he had proper cleats. They know Madani is saving up little by little (skipping afternoon snacks, walking instead of taking the bus) and await the day he can afford to buy cleats -- hopefully before the upcoming match with their longtime rivals. Meanwhile, his mother sews all day in their apartment, listening to the faint cheers for Madani that waft through her window. The story is narrated by one of Madani's teammates and reflects childlike concerns and perspectives. So the focus stays on the wonder of Madani's skills rather than where he came from; and also, crucially, on the anticipated new cleats rather than what Madani is actually saving up for, which will likely come as a surprise to young readers. The illustrations in this Spanish import, in pencil, gouache, and colored pencil, capture a bustling neighborhood of sidewalk cafes, newsstands, fountains, passersby, traffic, and pigeons. The spreads showing soccer action are full of movement and energy as Madani juggles the ball, dodges opponents, shoots, and scores. A beautiful book centering on the beautiful game, but about so much more: immigrant life, family, friendship, love. Martha V. Parravano

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

December 1, 2022

Gr 2-4-This picture book tells the story of Madani, the best soccer player in the neighborhood. He plays with bare feet, scoring goal after goal. His mother, working as a seamstress, hears the distant cheers, but is unable to attend the game due to the amount of work she has. Madani has been saving up all his money, and the children assume it is to buy cleats. However, when Madani returns from his day at the store, he is still barefoot. What he spends his money on leads to his best game ever. The text is told from the children's point of view and is poetic and simple. The soft palette is created with pencil, gouache, and colored pencils. Engaging illustrations are filled with a lot of action and characters for readers to explore. Most of the characters appear white, with a few characters of color in the background. An author's note explains that the story was inspired by Pintadera's experiences with the children in immigrant housing while he was a social worker. VERDICT A good purchase to add to sports collections, books on family, or those on sportsmanship.-V. Lynn Christiansen

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2022
On a playing field in a city neighborhood's central square, young Madani, a recent arrival, is the best player on his soccer team. He plays barefoot, and his teammates speculate how much better, even, he would play if he had proper cleats. They know Madani is saving up little by little (skipping afternoon snacks, walking instead of taking the bus) and await the day he can afford to buy cleats -- hopefully before the upcoming match with their longtime rivals. Meanwhile, his mother sews all day in their apartment, listening to the faint cheers for Madani that waft through her window. The story is narrated by one of Madani's teammates and reflects childlike concerns and perspectives. So the focus stays on the wonder of Madani's skills rather than where he came from; and also, crucially, on the anticipated new cleats rather than what Madani is actually saving up for, which will likely come as a surprise to young readers. The illustrations in this Spanish import, in pencil, gouache, and colored pencil, capture a bustling neighborhood of sidewalk cafes, newsstands, fountains, passersby, traffic, and pigeons. The spreads showing soccer action are full of movement and energy as Madani juggles the ball, dodges opponents, shoots, and scores. A beautiful book centering on the beautiful game, but about so much more: immigrant life, family, friendship, love.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)