The Field

A soccer story—for boy and girls alike!


“Vini! Come! The field calls!” cries a girl as she and her younger brother rouse their community—family, friends, and the local fruit vendor—for a pickup soccer (futbol) game. Boys and girls, young and old, players and spectators come running—bearing balls, shoes, goals, and a love of the sport.

“Friends versus friends” teams are formed, the field is cleared of cows, and the game begins! But will a tropical rainstorm threaten their plans?

The world’s most popular and inclusive sport has found its spirited, poetic, and authentic voice in Baptiste Paul’s debut picture book—highlighting the joys of the game along with its universal themes: teamwork, leadership, diversity, and acceptance. Creole words (as spoken in St. Lucia, the author’s birthplace island in the Caribbean) add spice to the story and are a strong reminder of the sport’s world fame. Bright and brilliant illustrations by debut children’s book illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara—winner of the We Need Diverse Books Illustration Mentorship Award—capture the grit and glory of the game and the beauty of the island setting where this particular field was inspired.

Soccer fan or not, the call of The Field is irresistible.

“This is a wonderful debut picture book for both the author and the illustrator. It is sure to be one that will be begged for over and over again, whether soccer fan or not.”

STARRED REVIEW. The excitement of the game overflows from the pages and the children, from the beautiful greenery that surrounds them and the brightness of their clothing, to the dynamic movement in Alcántara's artwork...Staccato phrases match high energy of the impromptu game.-- "Booklist"
The children's elongated, exaggerated movements create an almost constant sense of motion in Alcántara's vividly colored paintings, and their enthusiasm for futbol is infectious. -- "Publishers Weekly"
STARRED REVIEW. Gather around for a boisterous game of futbol in Paul and Alcántara's excellent picture-book debut...Irresistible fun. --Vicky Smith "Kirkus Reviews"
*STARRED REVIEW. Vibrant illustrations, full of movement and saturated with color, match the vigor and excitement of the text. --Martha V. Parravano "The Horn Book"
The only thing you have to bring to this story is a love of good books, and a capacity to be wowed when a debut team pulls out a book as cool as this. A story so good you'll be half tempted to pull your own soccer ball out of the shed and take it to the nearest muddy park for a spin. A true original.--Elizabeth Bird "School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production"
--Maria Marshall "The Picture Book Buzz"

Baptiste Paul is a man of many talents—from woodworking to gardening to entertaining hordes of children for hours on end. Born and raised in the West Indies (St. Lucia), Baptiste is a native Creole/Patois speaker and enjoys roasting his own coffee and chocolate as well as eating anything he can cook on a grill. Baptiste holds degrees in environmental studies and political science from Bucknell University and currently resides with his family near a wildlife sanctuary in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This is his first picture book for NorthSouth Books.


Jacqueline Alcántara is a freelance author and illustrator. She spends her days drawing, painting, writing and walking her dog. Jacqueline studied art education, attended a summer intensive at Parson’s New School of Design, and went on to enroll in the Illustration Certificate program at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. She has managed an art gallery in Chicago, worked at NBC’s set decoration department, and at Soho House Chicago. She is particularly excited about promoting inclusiveness and diversity in children’s literature and the illustration field in general. In 2016, she won the inaugural We Need Diverse Books Illustrator Mentorship Award. Find out more at: jacquelinealcantara.com

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