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Madani's Best Game
by Fran Pintadera
Age Range: 6-8
No one plays soccer as Madani does. There is nothing he can’t do with the ball, and all with his bare feet. The whole town stops to watch whenever Madani is playing and his teammates speculate about how much better he would play if only he had a proper pair of cleats*. Little by little, Madani saves up money in a metal tin (skipping his afternoon snack or walking instead of taking the bus) and as an important match against his team’s big rival approaches, everyone is hopeful that he will have his new cleats in time. Madani’s mother is unable to come and watch her son play because she is busy sewing all day in their apartment but the cheers are carried to her through her open window so she always knows when Madani has scored a goal.
Spanish author Fran Pintadera got the inspiration for this story, translated by Lawrence Schimel, from working with immigrant families, including a boy named Madani, which he mentions in the author’s notes. Although Madani’s Best Game will appeal to soccer fans it is not just a story about the game but also about the importance of family, love and friendship. At its core is a lovely heartwarming message showing Madani’s act of selflessness towards his mother to make her life easier.
The illustrations in pencil, gouache and coloured pencil by Raquel Catalina capture the game of soccer with the detailed vignettes and full-scale pictures showing Madani’s energetic manoeuvres with the ball, as well as bustling town life with its cafés, shops and townspeople which are all beautifully rendered.
*Cleats – In the USA they refer to shoes with rubber and metal projections underneath as cleats while in the UK we use the term studs.