From School Library Journal Gr 3-5-A biography of the soccer star Lionel Messi, who has played for teams Barcelona and Argentina. The unfocused narration covers a wide range of soccer facts: the text jumps from biographical information and comparisons to other soccer players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, to a brief exploration of famous soccer academy uniform shirts. Many quotes praising Messi are from lesser-known individuals such as teammates, managers, and coaches and are randomly inserted among the pages. Comments from an intrusive narrator detract from information that might possibly be useful for a report. For instance, when discussing the routine of players who live at La Masia Youth Academy, where Messi once spent some time, the text ends with "You know all that exciting stuff." Five short quizzes are appended; however, there are no photographs. Rather, the artwork consists of digital cartoonlike illustrations. While picture graphs of goal records are intriguing, some of the remaining illustrations are used as filler and are subsequently pointless. VERDICT Not recommended due to the unorganized and often confusing nature.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Read more About the Author duopress labs is the creative team, led by Mauricio Vela´zquez de Leo´n, responsible for writing and developing dozens of books and games. Recent titles include The Belly Sticker Book; 100 Pablo Picassos; My Fridge; Hello, Ocean Friends; My New York Puzzle; My San Francisco Puzzle; Match it! San Francisco; and My First Lift-the-Flap Animal Book. Mauricio has written for Lonely Planet, Chouette, PowerKids Press, and the magazines Gourmet and Saveur. He resides wherever he can find a good Wi-Fi connection and strong coffee, mostly in the eastern United States.Jon Stollberg is an illustrator from Alabama who grew up in the Washington, DC, area. In Alabama, he discovered ice hockey, his first major sports love, and has had a wide appreciation of various sports since. He studied illustration and graphic design at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, graduating in 2014 with a bachelor's degree. His work is a dynamic blend of vibrant color and simplified form, with an informed sense of composition and character acting. He loves to interpret famous people in his style, with likenesses ranging from Bryan Cranston and Luke Skywalker to his adorable parents. In his free time he enjoys coffee and dumb jokes. Read more
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