Great goal! marvellous mark! by Katrina Germein

Ill. by Janine Dawson. Ford St, 2017. ISBN 9781925272673
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Football, Alphabet. This most appealing rendition of an alphabet book has each page showcasing the next letter in the alphabet, moving along the game of football played by the young teams. The opening page begins
'Aussie Rules is awesome, I always arrive on time' with each of the a letters starting the word, highlighted.
We see the two teams running out onto the field, hopes high and skills at the ready. From there Germein reveals to the reader the range of skills needed to play a football game. From the centre bounce, to handball, a great goal, skilfull kick, a marvellous mark, perfect play, the final quarter comes along with an unbelievable goal, all capture by a volunteer with a video. It is a great read, readers predicting how the next letter in the alphabet will be characterised within the story of the football game. Not only do young readers get to see words beginning with that particular letter, they see how those words are used, while learning more about the game of football as they read.
The brightly coloured illustrations give another level of information about the game and its participants. We see the dog running on the field, the parents huddling under umbrellas, volunteers at the edge, umpires with head to toe waterproof clothing and gum boots, cars around the field, the train in the background. I love the middle double page which shows the whole field for those new to the game, showing the size and shape of the field, the goalposts and the team numbers. All is informative, revealed inside a lovely story about a group of kids playing football.
Fran Knight