MIA AND FRIENDS

A kicky tribute to the iconic soccer star and her spectacularly talented teammates on the U.S. national women’s team.

Gray’s fizzily exuberant account of Hamm’s triumphant progress—from first feats on the pitch at age 2 in 1974 to the U.S. team’s 1999 Women’s World Cup victory—is cranked up to 11 by Hess’ close-ups of her wide-eyed delight, full-bore game action punctuated with many a “BOOM!” “POW!” “WOOSH!” and wild, unrestrained celebratory piles after each win. Along the way, readers see young Mia cope with moodiness, feelings of alienation, and frequent moves because of her father’s Air Force job. Soccer became a grounding force for her, and finding other young women who also loved the sport made her feel less alone. Fast-paced game scenes will entice sports fans; for historically minded readers, team rosters and scoring summaries anchor each major competition, and a closing section brings the post-1999 professional exploits of each member of the team up to the present. Just as the art vividly captures the players’ infectious intensity and athleticism, the larger overall story of how the team lit up a new interest in the sport in the United States, particularly among girls, makes equally compelling reading. Both the player galleries and crowd scenes feature clear racial diversity in skin tones and facial features.

A high-intensity shot for the goal.