The Field

A young girl rouses her brother and his playmates in this debut picture-book from author/illustrator team Baptiste Paul and Jacqueline Alcántara, and a game of soccer in the nearby field is started. Full of action and excitement, the simple text - no more than a few words per page, in both English

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and Creole - captures the immediacy and motion of the game, which is only enlivened (and not interrupted) by the advent of a rainstorm. Splashing through mud, the players carry on, until their mothers finally insist they "vini abwézan" (come now)...

Set on a Caribbean island - most likely on Saint Lucia, given that Paul grew up there - The Field is one of only a few recent picture-books that I can think of, that feature contemporary children from that part of the world. Nadia L. Holm's Malaika's Costume is another, although that title addresses more serious issues, in the form of an absent parent. Here we have a fun, exciting text, paired with bright, bold illustrations that accentuate and build upon the sense of motion in the story. The subject matter, moreover - that of the "beautiful game" - is one sure to have appeal for many young children. I added this to my "bilingual texts" shelf, despite the fact that most of the (minimal) text is in English, because Creole words were used throughout. The meaning of these words is obvious from the context, and from the fact that the English equivalent is often given, but a handy glossary is still included at the rear. I also added it to my "Caribbean children" shelf, which I usually reserve for children's titles written by writers actually living in the region, rather than elsewhere. Leaving those issues of categorization aside, this is one I would recommend, both to young soccer lovers, and to those searching for picture-books with a Caribbean setting and cultural background.

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