THE SOCCER MOM FROM OUTER SPACE

Saltzberg (The Flying Garbanzos, not reviewed, etc.) gives parent cheerleaders a boost with this droll tale of a young soccer player and his excitable mom. Starting his first season with the Atomic Pickles, Ruben is horribly embarrassed to see his mother on the sidelines, dressed in a pickle costume and screaming wildly. Oblivious to the positive reception she's getting from his teammates and the other parents, he persuades her at last to lay off—only to hear complaints from every side, and to see the parents, in pickle costumes of their own, float down in a green blimp. Ruben’s mom shows not a trace of self-consciousness in the simply drawn cartoon illustrations; the silly outfits will have viewers in stitches. And in a hilarious final twist, it all turns out to be a story told by grownup Ruben to prepare his daughter, looking forward to her first game with a team called the Galactic Grapes, to welcome a suitably attired cheering section of her own. Parents and children both will benefit from this ribtickler. (Picture book. 6-8)