Big Kicks Book

Now in paperback— Goal! Kids of all sizes (and soccer abilities) will get a kick out of this humorous tale of high expectations—and the rewards of being yourself.

Biggie Bear lives in a quiet corner of a busy little town. He collects stamps, plays jazz, and enjoys being by himself. One day, the town soccer team knocks on his door, and they need BIG help. Biggie’s never played soccer before, and once they are out on the fi eld, Biggie realizes that maybe there is more to soccer than just being big. Bob Kolar’s droll, vibrantly illustrated tale about a lovable (but rather clumsy) bear and his endearing (but rather unlucky) team is sure to win some BIG fans.

Children's Literature

Biggie, a large bear, lives a quiet, eccentric life, playing jazz, eating peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches, and collecting stamps. His placid, solitary existence is intruded upon when the Mighty Giants, a local soccer team—comprised of a timid rabbit, a small squirrel, a smelly skunk, a fluffy duck, and a slow turtle, all with appropriately descriptive names—knock on his door and ask his help in their upcoming match. Their only large player, a dog, has a case of the fleas. Never having played soccer, Biggie demurs. But Twirly Squirrel prevails by pointing out, "Don't worry. You're big, and the ball is little." Size, however, is not sufficient. When Biggie kicks, he misses the ball and lands on his rump, "Ba-dump!" Other mishaps continue to lead him astray until, serendipitously, he stoops to pick up a rare stamp floating by. The ball hits his head, bounces off other players, and goes into the goal. The Mighty Giants win the game! They want to carry Biggie on their shoulders but, of course, cannot. So they retire to his house for peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches, jazz, and stories about soccer and stamps. This sweet story offers a gentle, worthwhile, and not-often-told message. The appealing illustrations are colorful and simple, portraying almost puppet-like characters. These, along with the low word count and unadorned, sometimes wry text, make the book appropriate for reading aloud to young children and pleasure reading for slightly older children. Reviewer: Cynthia Levinson