The World's Game - by Yamile Saied Méndez (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A vibrant picture book celebrating soccer and its worldwide fans, perfect for the 2026 World Cup--hosted in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

One field.
One ball.
Two teams...and a whole lot of fans!

Soccer and the World Cup bring people from all over the world together. Witness the energy, passion, and glory of the world's most popular sport, on and off the field. As one match happens in the stadium, one family gathers to watch the game at home. See the players leave it all on the field and the family watch enthusiastically on tv.

With bright, colorful art and lively dialogue, this uplifting and heartfelt story is a love letter to the sport, the fans, and the communities we make. Get ready to jump, holler, and cheer for "the beautiful game"!

Review Quotes

"A joyful nod to soccer's power to unite the world in one resounding goal." --Kirkus Reviews

"Méndez's story memorializes the joy shared between communities--the electrifying and energizing sound of the world's love of the game." --The Bulletin

"An excellent addition to a picture book collection that promotes diversity, sportsmanship, and world unity." --School Library Journal

About the Author

Yamile Saied Méndez is the author of many books for young readers and adults, including Furia, a Reese's YA Book Club selection and the 2021 Inaugural Pura Belpré Young Adult Gold Medalist. Her books have received many accolades such as the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard, Whitney Award, Cybils Award, Américas Award, Bank Street Spanish Language Book Awards, among others. She has also been featured in the Best of Year lists of the New York City Public Library Library, Salt Lake Public Library Library, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and those of many states'. She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, but has lived most of her life in a lovely valley surrounded by mountains in Utah. An inaugural Walter Dean Myers Grant recipient, she's also a graduate of Voices of Our Nations (VONA) and the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA Writing for Children's and Young Adult program. Yamile is also a founding member of Las Musas, the first collective of women and nonbinary Latine authors. She taught herself English with a Spanish/English dictionary and now has been faculty at TinHouse Workshop and a keynote speaker at The Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Andrés Landazábal is an illustrator, production designer, and art-director based in Colombia but he was born in Spain. His work has appeared in animation films, tv shows and print companies. Andrés' love for drawing and painting was instilled at a young age reading classic illustrated children's books.