Born in Brazil, Neymar da Silva Santos Joenior grew up imagining what it would be like to be a soccer player. As many kids who are fans of a sport, he would become the announcer, star and every player on the team as he played in his grandfather’s house. And like many kids he has the dream of making it big someday. Unlike many, however, he did make his dream come true.
More of a 4.5 as I would have liked to have seen more biographical information (at the end) but this story told as the author feels things would have gone is a nice touch. This makes it a story about a kid who loves soccer and happens to make it big one day. The “golden dream” of any kid who loves a sport. It is a biography but it is just a story first. It is just a kid having fun, playing with his friends and cousins. The normalcy of this will resonate with any fan of the game.
With the 2018 World Cup around the corner, this would be a great read to get everyone in the spirt. It is also a great way to introduce kids to a player that is an up and coming star. We might now the Pele’s and the Mia Hamm’s, but da Silva Santos might not be a house hold name. Yet.
Author, Mina Javaherbin has a love for the game and this player. Her text is accompanied by Paul Hoppe’s illusions. They are a perfect combination of realism with a soft, almost dreamy touch. Perhaps, sometimes the colors are a little darker than I expected, but I did enjoy them. They are soothing to the eye and give action as well.