Leo Messi (Little People, Big Dreams)

by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Author) Florencia Gavilán (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

In this book from the highly acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Leo Messi, one of the world's most skilled and celebrated soccer players.

As a child, Leo developed his passion for soccer playing games with his brothers and cousins in the streets of Rosario, Argentina. He later honed his skills on the pitch as part of the local youth team, Newell's Old Boys - who famously won every tournament whilst Leo was with them. But life wasn't without its challenges. Aged 9, he was diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency, which meant he had to inject himself with hormones from the doctor every day to help him grow.

But nothing was going to stop Leo from following his dreams. He debuted with FC Barcelona in 2004 and across the next 17 years scored 672 goals for the club and helped them to win 35 trophies. Leo has also received seven Golden Ball awards, more than any other soccer player in history, and won 4 trophies with Argentina's national football team, including the 2022 World Cup, where he captained the team to victory. Messi's next chapter will be spent training under the Florida sunshine, having joined the U.S. team Inter Miami CF.

Today, he is considered by many to be 'The Greatest of All Time' - and is a hero off the pitch, too, as a committed ambassador for UNICEF and founder of his own children's charity. This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of Messi's incredible story. This powerful book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the footballer's life. 

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Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, born in Barcelona, Spain, is a writer and creative director in constant search of new concepts for children's books. In 2014, she created a book for her two twin nieces for their birthday, which shortly thereafter became the first book in the Little People, BIG DREAMS series. This multimillion-copy bestselling series of picture books explores the lives of outstanding people. From Mahatma Gandhi to Aretha Franklin, to Prince, Sánchez Vegara researches complex careers and makes them accessible to young children, with her unique and mindful style of writing. She works with a diverse team of illustrators to make each book lively, eye-catching and motivating. Working for more than fifteen years for clients in top advertising agencies, her books combine creativity with learning, aiming to establish a new and fresh relationship between children and pop culture. ​

Based in Washington, DC, Nadia Fisher is a self-taught artist and illustrator striving to normalize inclusion in children's books and the illustration world. She wants children from all backgrounds to be able to see themselves in the books they read, and she hopes to instil a sense of confidence and joy in them as well.

Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780711290587
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Frances Lincoln Ltd
Publication date
November 20, 2023
Series
Little People, Big Dreams
BISAC categories
JNF007100 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Sports & Recreation
JNF018030 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic/Latino
JNF054130 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Sports & Recreation | Soccer
Library of Congress categories
-

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