The Sock Thief: A Soccer Story

by Ana Crespo, Nana Gonzales (Illustrator)

Overview

2016 International Latino Book Award: Best Latino Focused Children's Picture Book—Bilingual

Brazilian boy Felipe wants to play soccer, but he doesn't have a soccer ball. So, when it's his turn to take one to school, he uses a little bit of creativity… and a few socks. Felipe is the sock thief, but finding socks is not that easy and the neighborhood pets make it even harder. "Au, au, au!" a dog barks in Portuguese. Felipe wonders if he'll play soccer with his friends today or if he will be caught by a tattle-tale parrot? Along the way, Felipe leaves delicious mangoes in exchange for the socks he steals. After he swipes each pair, he twists and turns them into an ever-growing soccer ball. At the end of the day, he returns each pair of socks with a note to say thank you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807575383
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	03/01/2015
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ana Crespo is originally from Brazil and has lived in the USA for 15 years. She has worked as an academic advisor and as a translator before investing in a career as a writer. This is her first book in English. Nana Gonzales has illustrated several children’s books. As a child, she often carried around a pencil and paper so that she could draw for her family and friends. She lives in Argentina with her husband and his son.

Editorial Reviews

"Gonzalez paints with a boldness that gives life to the Brazilian setting, adding a little bounce to this futebol-themed picture book. A lively celebration of futebol, culture, and ingenuity." School Library Journal, February 1, 2015

"Bright colors, rounded shapes, and the commentary of early-rising animals who witness Felipe's pilfering add to the charm of the tale, and a glossary of Portuguese terms 'you can learn and practice with your friends' extends the fun." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, June 1, 2015

"Poverty in Brazil probably isn't as spotless as Gonzalez's artwork implies, but the feeling of intimacy and decency is welcome. Crespo's text has a mildly subversive touch--but in the service of the greater good, and it's clear by the end that the whole neighborhood believes in that greater good." Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2014

From the Publisher

02/01/2015
PreS-Gr 1—Felipe has a secret. On his morning walk to school in Brazil, he carefully exchanges juicy mangoes from his family's tree for his neighbors' drying socks. Many of the local animals are witnesses, including the rooster, who attempts to announce the disappearing socks with a swift "Cocoricó!" Felipe continues his journey and begins to stuff each sock with used newspaper, twisting and tying the materials into a firm round object. The mystery isn't under wraps for long, as Felipe presents the handmade sock ball to his school friends. Inspired by her father's childhood recollections, Crespo presents a charming story that not only appeals to futebol, or soccer, fans but also to those who possess a creative spirit. She provides a glossary with Portuguese words and scatters a few Portuguese animal sounds throughout the text. Gonzalez paints with a boldness that gives life to the Brazilian setting, adding a little bounce to this futebol-themed picture book. VERDICT A lively celebration of futebol, culture, and ingenuity.—Claire Moore, Darien Library, CT

School Library Journal

2014-12-06
Young Felipe may be relatively poor, but he's rich in imagination when it comes to entertainment.Crespo's protagonist leaves his house early in the morning. He has a few stops to make before school. He must collect a handful of mangoes from the family tree, then borrow some of the neighborhood laundry—socks to be specific; Felipe has no socks of his own—while leaving a mango as a gesture of silent (albeit unagreed-upon) barter. He stuffs the socks with newspaper, twists them and tightens and adds maybe a few stitches, and voilà: soccer balls, enough to keep many kids enrapt before and after school and during recess. Homeward, Felipe returns the socks to their owners—looking curiously clean—along with a little note of appreciation: "Obrigado pelas meias!" Thank you for the socks. (A short Portuguese glossary follows the story, along with an author's note.) Poverty in Brazil probably isn't as spotless as Gonzalez's artwork implies, but the feeling of intimacy and decency is welcome. Crespo's text has a mildly subversive touch—but in the service of the greater good, and it's clear by the end that the whole neighborhood believes in that greater good. Idyllic, and if anywhere needs an idyll, a Brazilian favela is a fine candidate. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews