The Perfect Match

4.8

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Author(s)

Chris Becker

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Dan Taylor

Publisher

Nosy Crow

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

May 05, 2026

ISBN

979-8887772707

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An adorable, action-packed spin on Cinderella featuring lots of soccer and a prince with two royal dads.

Jack begs his dad to tell him his favorite bedtime story, the one about Leo and the royal soccer match. It includes two mean stepbrothers, a fairy squad father, and magical race car ride to the big game. The match is amazing, and Leo scores the winning goal, with an assist from Prince Ollie! But after his uniform starts to change back to his regular clothes, Leo rushes off, leaving his cleat behind. The prince searches high and low for the boy the cleat belongs to, and when he finds him, it’s the perfect match! Leo and Prince Ollie live happily ever after. And one day . . . they have a little boy named Jack who loves soccer as much as they do!

Editor review

1 review

A Charming Soccer Take on Cinderella

April 28, 2026 (Updated: June 03, 2026)

Overall rating

4.8

Plot

5.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

THE PERFECT MATCH is a Cinderella retelling featuring a soccer game, young Leo, and Prince Ollie. Leo is telling the story about the Royal Match to his son Jack as a bedtime story. Despite loving soccer, Leo never gets to play because his stepbrothers always stick him with the chores. With the help of his Hairy Squadfather, Leo manages to sneak out and join Prince Ollie’s team during the Royal Match.

As a Cinderella retelling, the story is pretty predictable. This is not a complaint though. The author manages to take the traditional Cinderella story and switch it around enough so that it feels like a distinct, if related, story. Having it take place during a soccer game is definitely a switch that I don’t see often. Framing this story as a bedtime story is a charming addition as well.

The artwork in this book is so pretty. The images are very clean, with beautiful shading ang colors. Each line feels carefully illustrated and you can feel the care that went into the book in the images. The artist also did a fantastic job at capturing the energy and magic of the book. The stadium feels alive, the game feels real. It’s so vibrant and energetic.

Fans of fairy tales or soccer may take an interest in this book. THE PERFECT MATCH is a sweet Cinderella story that puts soccer in the forefront. With stunning images to accompany it, this is definitely a memorable picture book.