by Moe Zilla

Created on: February 25, 2010

"Soccer Crazy" tells the story of Bruno, a big fat bear with no one to play with. Through his window he watches a neighborhood team called Tex's Tiger - made of  dogs, cats, and a pig named Roberto. They've got a big soccer match Saturday, but they agree to let the bear train with them. Unfortunately, Bruno is hopeless as a soccer player. Though he shows promise as a goalie...

A British author appreciates the fierce competitiveness of soccer, but Colin McNaughton also captures its camaraderie. With cartoon-y illustrations, he does a great job of creating a separate character for each player. (There's Ginger the cat, wearing denim overalls, and a dalmatian in a Hawaiian bowling shirt named Tex.) Colin wrote the book and illustrated it himself, which lets him fill the story with plenty of details. And it's a very cluttered clubhouse where the players discuss their game strategy.

Bruno will be their substitute player, since they can always tuck him away in the goal. Bruno trains hard - in a red jump suit - practing his dribbling, passing, heading, and goal-kicking. "You never know what might happen," his father tells him the night of their big match.
"Soccer's a crazy game."

"We'll be there to cheer you on," says his mother, "just in case..."

McNaughton draws an overhead view of the field, and provides the name of every player on both teams. With a fan's affection, he captures the moment when Bruno is given his team uniform. McNaughton fills two pages with 13 different drawings of Tex's team practicing. And there's another 12 drawings in a two-page spread to capture the frenzy of the game.

The referee blows his whistle, and Roberto the pig kicks a goal. But an overhead shot shows a goal from the competition - as the rest of their team jumps in the air to celebrate. And then they score yet another spectacular goal, and then another. "Tex looked worried. So did Bruno..."

McNaughton makes sure that the match is well-documented. There's a second two-page spread with nine more scenes from the game, and the entire team takes a turn using their heads to bounce the ball into the goal. Roberto the pig scores another goal, but then he's injured in a foul play. It's time for the substitue player - Bruno.

Bruno bumbles the penalty kick - and in the games final minute, commits a foul himself. He lost the game for his team unless he can block the last penalty kick. "Bruno felt tiny. The goal seemed huge... The whistle blew.

"Would he? Could he?"

Learn more about this author, Moe Zilla.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.