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Do you know how a poor boy from Brazil who loved fútbol more than anything else became the biggest soccer star the world has ever known? Turn the pages of this book to read the true life story of Pelé, King of Soccer, the first man in the history of the sport to score a thousand goals and become a living legend. Rudy Gutiérrez's dynamic illustrations make award-winning author Monica Brown's story of this remarkable sports hero truly come alive!

Customer Reviews (1)

A Soccer Legend
Reviewed by Cayden Aures (age 4) and Mom for Reader Views (1/09)

The bilingual book "Pele: King of Soccer/ El rey del futbol" explores the life of Pele, a soccer legend.He grew up poor in a town in Brazil.Every evening, Pele and his father would go play soccer in the streets.His family had so little that they couldn't even afford a real soccer ball so they used other things like grapefruits instead.We learn how Pele got started playing professionally and what he has accomplished in the sport.

Cayden:"I play soccer in the yard with daddy.I am going to start playing on a team this week too!I am glad we got this book about soccer.That guy is really good at playing it.He got it in the net 1000 times they said!He is good at soccer like Michael Phelps is at swimming!I liked the story.The pictures were kind of swirly though.I want to read it again!"

Parent's comments:

This book was perfect for my son.He loves all things soccer and actually will be starting an indoor league in a few days.He, and I, really enjoyed the story of Pele and his humble beginnings.The book definitely held my child's interest from start to finish.The illustrations were a little on the abstract side and it was a little difficult for Cayden to understand a lot of them.The storyline, however, more than made up for that for him and "Pele: King of Soccer/ El rey del futbol" by Monica Brown will be a book we will read again and again! ... Read more

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HOW DID A POOR BOY named Edson - who kicked rocks down roads and dribbled balls made from rags - go on to become the greatest soccer player of all time? While other kids memorized letters, Edson memorized the scores of soccer matches. And when Edson finally played in a youth soccer tournament in the town of Bauru, Brazil, he focused on only one thing from the moment the whistle blew: the goal. Here is the story of the boy who overcame tremendous odds to become the world champion soccer star Pelé. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Engrossing reading for kids in grades 2-4.
Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome's YOUNG PELE: SOCCER'S FIRST STAR tells of a poor Brazilian boy who kicks rocks down roads and dribbles balls made from rags - and who goes on to become the greatest soccer player of all time. His skills and the evolution of his talents make for engrossing reading for kids in grades 2-4. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Non soccer players please read this....
Being a soccer fan I loved this but I think non-soccer fans will love this book. Pele was the first ever million $ a year athlete. This book starts with Pele's humble beginnings in Brazil.Pele is his nickname, taken from a goalie he admired. Pele always wanted to be a goalie and in the days before substituions were allowed (pre- 1970) he was the reserve goalie.

Very good book, and once you've read it you'll understand how brutal soccer was before the referees started clamping down on bad tackles. A few times Pele thought his career was over. He was "butchered" in the 1966 World Cup.

I think most US readers will come away with a sense of how soccer is more than just a sport in the rest of the world. Pele relates how after Brazil lost to Uruguay in the World Cup final his father (a good soccer player) cried for weeks and never seemed to be the same again.

And how on the eve of the 70 World Cup final, Pele (a veteran at 27. Soccer really is a kid's game) preached at length to the rest of the team about their responsibilites to everyone back in Brazil and how a loss wouble be unthinkable (sounded like they were landing at Normandy). Needless to say, Brazil won 4-1 over Italy, and the 70's Brazil team is still acknowledged to be the best team ever. The Brazil vs England quarter final game from the same world cup is the game most viewed by coaches to teach players. That game was played at such a high level that they still analyze it to death. For you bookworms, think Shakespeare's Hamlet. How would the 70 Brazil team rank against the Beckhams and Ronaldos of today? Hard to say, but personally I'd put my money on the Brazilians of 1970...... ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Good biography about Edson Arantes do Nascimento
A good book, written with cooperation, about the life of Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, a guy who went for international success in a age when salaries of top professional players where no even a small fraction of today's stars.

Still a relevant figure everywhere in the word, Pelé talks wih his own words (helped by a professional writer)about his humble origins and his rise to international fame, playing for Brazilian soccer team Santos, the Brazilian national squad and, lastly, in the New York Cosmos.

A good read.

A Football Epic
...by one of soccer's greatests or for some even THE greatest, which is to say that if this would be warfare, we would be talking about Alexander of Macedon, or a Napoleon or something. I however, think that in the game, Pele is more like A.V. Suvorov, a great (or even the greatest) Russian fieldmarshall. Known for his "always attack" strategies A.V. caused devastation to the Turkish army to the Swiss, and Polish, and would ve done that to Napoleon has he not passed on.

Pele on the other hand, we could say "beat Napoleon" by winning the World Cup for Brazil three times, which led to a retirement of the Jules Rimet cup. A great accomplishment. Plus he plays a great soccer). ... Read more

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Simple text and photographs present the accomplishments of Pelâe, who has been called the king of soccer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Too young
I wanted a biography of Pele for my 7 year old.This is really for pre-school kids.The pictures are good. ... Read more

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Product Description
A biography of the Brazilian soccer star who was tempted out of retirement by an invitation to come to the United States to interest its people in the sport for which he is world-famous. ... Read more

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The King Of Soccer Pele
Reading about The King Of Soccer Pele is very exciting.
You'll get to find out his history. It is very amazing he wontwo world cups for brazil. Read this book and find out more! ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on December 9, 1999. The length of the article is 930 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: 100 años de historia.(Pelé, jugador de fútbol; aprecio)(TT: One hundred years of history.)(TA: Pelé, soccer player; appreciation)
Author: Tay Polo Miranda
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 9, 1999
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: 6Issue: 354Page: 18

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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A brief biography of the Brazilian soccer player Pelâe, intended for use as a reader for beginning level students of English as a foreign language. ... Read more

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A biography of Pelâe, the Brazilian soccer star who has achieved international notoriety because of his athletic achievements. ... Read more

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Examines the life and career of the renowned soccer player from Brazil. ... Read more

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This is a book about a man who excelled in a game of soccer.Pele is a athlete best know throughout the world. He is the only three-time world champion in soccer. "I dedicate this book to all the people who have made this great game the Beautiful Game." - Pele ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Best Player Ever
Pele is perhaps the best player to have ever played the game and came from nothing - a poor boy from the streets of Brazil. This is a must read for every aspiring soccer player.

O Rei Pele!
I read this book as a kid in Nigeria...Pele's legend cannot be imitated or duplicated...his feats are simply majestic...very humble, classy superstar who never let the accolades get to him..97 goals for Brazil and 1283 club goals is ridiculous! People dont even score 300 goals anymore..You would think that by playing 1300 games, he'd break down at some point...the book was a great read...get his new one "PELE" (autobio)!

The Best Player Ever.
This is an exceptionally detailed biography. The statistical chart at the back of all the games he played in was a very pleasant surprise. The only things missing was some tactical diagrams and a map of Brazil. Every chapter added colorful insight into his life-Ch's-2,6,8-facts of life, 9-Pele in love and 17. He also gave the reader the fine nuances of the "beautiful game." Chapters-1,3-5,10,12,14-1,000 goal,15-16,18,19-20-Cosmos years. I found chapters 7-race relations in Brazil,11-the trainor, and 13-Santos years to be the most interesting. Lastly, I could not agree more with Pele's distaste for defensive Football on 310-11.

A well-written autobiography
It's fortunate for the soccer-fan readers that the author focuses his writing on what happens on soccer field. I don't really care that much about his company, although it helps to understand the author's personalities as a whole.

It would be even better if the author describe how he thought of scoring those famous goals (even just say subcouciously I scored).
Some diagrams would help too.

A Good book about The Greatest of The Beautiful Game

I was too young to see Pele while he still was an active footballer, but growing up in a football loving home I've been fed with the legend of this fantastic athlete. My Dad always told me about the greatness of Pele, and I always felt that I lost our "arguments" about whether "my generations" superstar Maradona or "his generations" star Pele actually was the Greatest One.

I bought this book to find out more about the legendary Pele. Wow, wasn't this a great book? When understanding what impact this man had on the beautiful game it's easy to see how he can be recognized as the Greatest. He wasn't only an extremely talented athlete; he was also a man with a wonderful heart and who had his morals in order. I'm sure you find a picture of Pele in the dictionary if you look up the word "sportsmanship".

I think this well written book is a worthy tribute to this great athlete. It tells us the this to-good-to-be-true motivational story about a man with an extreme talent that goes all the way from poverty thru a triumphant career all the way to the top of the beautiful game...and he do so with style!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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Hasta la gente que no sabe de futbol conoce a Pele: ganador de la Copa del Mundo en tres ocasiones, poseedor del record de maximo anotador de Brasil de todos los tiempos y el mejor de una generacion de brasilenos reconocidos universalmente como el mas brillante conjunto de futbolistas que jamas haya jugado. Pero como hizo este hombre, aparentemente un deportista como muchos otros, para convertirse en un idolo mundial? Por primera vez, el mejor jugador de futbol del mundo narra, en primera persona, la historia completa de su increible vida y de su carrera, contada con su caracteristica gracia y modestia, cubriendo todos los aspectos de sus dias de jugador y sus actividades posteriores como politico, embajador internacional del deporte e icono cultural. ... Read more

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Biography of Pelâe, Brazilian soccer player who has become an international star. Also includes introductory material about the game of soccer. ... Read more

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A biography of the Brazilian who has earned the reputation as the greatest soccer player in the world. ... Read more

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Recounts the career of the Brazilian many consider to be the world's greatest soccer player. ... Read more