Morgan Plays Soccer

Rockwell, Anne

ISBN 10: 0060284447 ISBN 13: 9780060284442

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001

Synopsis

Morgan Brownbear's new friend Nina Jane Monkey loves soccer so much that soon Morgan is sure he wants to play too. But soccer has a lot of rules, and Morgan keeps breaking the most important one of all: He can't seem to stop catching the ball with his hands! Morgan is so embarrassed, he doesn't want to play soccer anymore. But Nina Jane helps Morgan stay in the game by showing him exactly what he needs-practice!

Budding athletes will understand Morgan's early frustrations and will cheer when he triumphs in this uplifting story about what it means to be a good sport.

About this title

About the Author:

Anne Rockwell is a pioneer in the field of nonfiction for very young children. She has more than a hundred books to her credit, including Why Are the Ice Caps Melting? and Clouds in the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Paul Meisel has illustrated many books for children, including Why Are the Ice Caps Melting?, Energy Makes Things Happen, and What Happens to Our Trash? in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. He lives in Newtown, Connecticut.

From Booklist:

Ages 4-6. Soccer fanatic Nina Jane Monkey convinces Morgan Brownbear to play soccer. At the first practice Morgan has trouble remembering not to dribble and not to catch the ball with his hands. Humiliated, he tells Nina he wants to quit, but she won't hear of it. His skills improve thanks to practice, but during the first scrimmage game, he forgets about not catching the ball. That's when the coach decides to put him where he can catch to his heart's content: he makes Morgan the goalie. Morgan's story ends happily, but most youngsters will realize that in real life learning a new skill doesn't always work out as nicely. What comes across best, perhaps, is the importance of finding one's special talent and the value of patience and practice. Meisel's watercolor-and-gouache illustrations, while not exceptional, depict lively animal characters enjoying the game and showing good sportsmanship. Combined with the text, they provide beginning soccer players with a basic introduction to this popular sport. Lauren Peterson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0060284447
• ISBN 13: 9780060284442
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Meisel Paul