Soccerverse

May 1, 2019
Twenty-two poems celebrate, from a young person's perspective, the beautiful game that is soccer. Two poems offer the viewpoints of a pair of shin guards--one of them left on the field by accident after the last game. A wry observation about "Fans" is spot-on: "I like it when my parents come. / I like that they are near. / But when they yell instructions, / I pretend that I can't hear." A poem for two voices in which one player speaks Spanish and one English happily concludes: "Si! Juguemos! / Yes! Let's play!" (The Spanish voice uses English punctuation conventions.) A player contemplates the difficulty of offering a handshake to an overly aggressive opposing player at game's end. Another, carded for an infraction, is relieved to have his apology accepted. Ik�'s digitally created art is stylized and full of motion. His lighthearted illustrations incorporate some poetic fantasy elements and flourishes, such as an inventor creating a perfect teammate: mostly feet for a field player; hands for a goal keeper. Most of the players display a range of skin colors and hair colors and textures; a preponderance have short hair. Each poem uses one or more of 13 poetic forms described briefly in an author's note--something that will surely charm teachers and aspiring poets. A pitch-perfect ode to the details and delights of playing soccer. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)

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