Review Detail

THE PERFECT MATCH is a sweet Cinderella story with a soccer twist! The story is told by a little boy's father as a bedtime story. Little Leo was forced by his brothers to do a lot of chores. When an invitation came from Prince Ollie to join in a soccer game, Leo's brothers say he can only go if he does a very long list of chores. While sad and working, a Hairy Squadfather appears and transforms Leo so that he can go to the game - and be on Ollie's team. Together, they win the match, but Leo has to run from the match, leaving his cleat behind.

Ollie later brings the cleat to try on, and a team is made! The end of the book has them telling Jack, their son, that without that cleat they would not have found each other and become a family.

What I loved: This is an adorable Cinderella story with a fun soccer twist. The story is a nice retelling of the original with soccer-themed touches that make it adorably sweet. The plot flows smoothly with plenty of soccer game action included in the middle. The ending is very sweet as well, bringing it together and showing what happened to them in the end with a goodnight story.

The illustrations are absolutely lovely throughout with touches of fairytale magic and color. The characters really come to life, and the use of panels helps to convey the story smoothly through even the more complex scenes. The soccer twists and LGBT family make this a perfect read for June with Pride Month and the World Cup!

Final verdict: THE PERFECT MATCH is a sweet and charming Cinderella story with a fun soccer twist that young readers will enjoy. Colorful and detailed illustrations complement the story well and make this great picture book stand out!