World Soccer Kings

Gr 4-6–This collection of 17 poems, inspired by the world’s top soccer players, is an uneven but visually impressive work. The design is eye-catching. Desaturated yellows, oranges, and teals give a retro hue to postmodern patterns and page layouts. The dynamic photos of the players are primarily black-and-white, but their uniforms feature pops of color. The poems are often matched to a player’s country of origin, as seen in a poem for Neymar inspired by a Brazilian samba or a Korean sijo for Heung-Min Son. However, some poetic structures are repeated, like multiple acrostics. The poems themselves are also repetitive; one poem includes the word “Goal” 23 times. The unpolished feeling of the text is compounded by the use of “yoUngest” for the letter “U” in an acrostic. While the text is laid out differently on every page, perhaps to evoke the movement of the sport, the dancing letters coupled with the design create a chaotic feel. Back matter includes brief biographical information on the players and a selection of poetic forms, but many forms are omitted.