ALA Booklist

Taking an approach familiar to readers of Nevius and Thomson's Karate Hour (2004) and Baseball Hour (2008), this picture book uses rhymed couplets and realistic illustrations to re-create a soccer practice, beginning with drills and ending with a scrimmage. The child narrator tells the story in staccato phrases, while the action unfolds visually in illustrations created with acrylic paints and colored pencils. Though the palette is restrained, the pictures' composition and perspective are often dramatic. Boys and girls who enjoy playing soccer should enjoy seeing their experiences reflected in this realistic offering.

Horn Book

Through rhymed couplets, the narrator offers a first-person account of the rigors and joys faced by a developing soccer squad. Phrases such as "pass and trap" and "mark up, Blue" provide readers with an authentic summary of the skills needed to produce a winning "Gooooaall!" Accent colors on balls and jerseys stand out against stunning sepia and black-and-white images.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This third sports picture book from Nevius and Thomson (after Baseball Hour and Karate Hour) guides readers through an evening of soccer practice, as kids work on their shooting, footwork, and passing. Though Nevius's rhymed couplets are wooden at times ("In soccer hour we learn to think;/ we come prepared with ball and drink"), Thomson's hyperreal acrylic and pencil illustrations are as showstopping as ever. The kids' scrimmage jerseys and an array of bright soccer balls are the only spots of color in the warm gray spreads, making it all the easier for readers to follow that age-old piece of athletic wisdom: "Keep your eye on the ball!" Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2 As in Karate Hour (2004) and Baseball Hour (2008, both Marshall Cavendish), this book offers a winning combination of rhyming couplets and striking artwork to describe an hour of practice among boys and girls. While the text reads in bursts of active statements"We jump small hurdles, bending knees;/weave through cones in groups of threes"the extraordinary illustrations are the essence of the book. Thomson uses acrylics and colored pencils to create realistic paintings that almost resemble sepia photographs. Readers' eyes are drawn to the spot of color (red for a shirt or green or blue for soccer balls) on each spread. Children will find the variety of perspectives, such as a ball sent into a goal or a head shot, memorable, and adults will be pleased that the book lends itself well for use with groups.— Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA