The World Game: Soccer Circles the Globe

PreS-Gr 2–As Gloria from Chicago prepares to take her first kick, the World Game commences! Following a soccer ball across time zones and settings, the game moves briskly from Winnipeg, Canada, to a night match in Shenzhen, China, and a beachside game in Lagos, Nigeria. Each spread introduces a new location, marked with the local time, and includes two or three sentences of action-driven text weaving in ­basic soccer vocabulary. Representing a wide range of ethnicities and genders, the sport’s worldwide popularity and its ability to connect players across cultures is on full display. Bright, cheery illustrations ­created with pencil and Photoshop maintain a consistent tone throughout, keeping the focus on movement and play. However, while skin tones vary, the characters’ facial features and expressions remain largely uniform, softening the visual diversity the book aims to celebrate. There is little overarching narrative beyond the ball’s journey, but that simplicity keeps the focus on soccer itself and the idea of global unity through sport. Informational notes at the end provide helpful context on the history of soccer, its many names, and an introduction to time zones. Although the repetitive nature of this story may not appeal to all readers, ardent soccer fans will ­appreciate this celebration of the world’s most popular game.