Lucy Tries Soccer
(Lucy Tries Sports #3)

K-Gr 2—In this title, Lucy learns how to play the game with her friends. Bowes is a sports reporter and play-by-play announcer who clearly is enthusiastic about children experiencing different sports activities. Multiple ethnicities are portrayed in Hearne's appealing and friendly illustrations, which are drawn by hand and colorized digitally. The four friends (two girls and two boys) demonstrate how players substitute and take turns playing in a "three on three" game. While not detailing specific rules, the author uses the informational picture book style to show ways to start moving the soccer ball around the field. Bowes provides a simple "tick tock" drill to get warmed up. Five "Fast Facts" about soccer are appended. VERDICT A fine introductory story to read before a new team gathers to learn the game.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA