My family do loves Messi and because of that I automatically know and like him although I didn't really understand football lol. I know he's a good football player and knowing his life, experiences, and his never give up attitude made me like and admire him more. It such a quick but informative summary of his life. I'm pretty sure his life inspires so many people out there.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing the eARC in exchange of my honest review

I became a fan of Messi when my daughter lived in Argentina and he was playing for their World Cup team. This series, which is biographies written for children, gives background to the international soccer star. I learned about his speed and abilities that were recognized early on and also having to take injections to grow. Messi is one of the few soccer players I get requests for books about in my school library. This would be a welcome addition to my shelf or for soccer fan families. Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the temporary ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

always been a fan of "little people, big dreams" series. was expecting more insight on his personal life too given he has a seemingly steady and successful long term relationship. A little let down since the book never mentions about it. But besides that, this was a good read. Thanks to #netgalley for the early copy.

My kids love the Little People, Big Dreams books for the very simple and approachable way they highlight notable public figures, and Leo Messi is a great addition. The book goes into a lot of details about Messi's early life, which I think makes it that much more relatable for young kids. It is also very relatable since he is a modern soccer player who won a World Cup as recently as last year. I highly recommend this book and many other from the Little People, Big Dreams series!

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley for gifting my family with an ARC to review. We loved it!

A book that does pretty much what you expect – a very simple biography of Messi, which did tell me things I didn't know, such as his growth hormone injections taken as a teenager, and which shines a potential light as a way forward for other similarly-minded young readers. The Messi here is all about the football, with a touch of charity work at the end, with the typical message about things always being possible if you put your heart and love into it. You don't have to be the most observant to see someone else that might have been called the best of his time not mentioned (and how that will smart that he hasn't got a book in this series, when Messi and even Marcus Rashford have), but this shows that even the most satisfied of people still want more, in Messi's case his world cup winner's badge. Still, much as Lionel didn't rest on any laurels, this series doesn't, and this entrant is a good example of its kind.

This is a great brief biography of Leo Messi aimed at elementary-age students. Like the other books in this series, it includes enough specific details to have some depth while still being brief enough for younger audiences. The pictures are playful and extremely colorful - very engaging. It also goes all the way up through including Argentina's World Cup win in 2022.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing with me with this book. A new book in the Little People, Big Dreams series this book has gorgeous illustrations to go with the story of Lionel Messi’s life. It would appeal to both boys and girls alike and shows that not everything was easy for the superstar.

I always love the Little People, Big Dreams books, and this is my second one on soccer recently. This book will be a real inspiration to so many children! Being a soccer mom to 3 and now having a grand involved in the sport, I still love everything all things soccer and I'll love reading this book with my grandkids.

An absolutely perfect book for any soccer fan! We are huge Messi fans and the kids were thrilled to see a book about his life and career. This book will be a staple in our house now.
We loved the illustrations and short sentences on the pages. It was easily enjoyed by kids of all ages.

This book is perfect for any soccer/fútbol fan! My little one loved looking at the beautiful illustrations while we learned new and interesting facts about Messi! The Little People, Big Dreams series is one of our most favorite. This is an excellent edition.

The latest in the Little People Big Dreams sees the story of Lionel Messi told for children.

I think this is actually one of the best books I have read in this series - it was very well rounded, and incredibly informative for such a short book. I live with football mad boys, and I thought I knew about Messi, but this book taught me about his childhood struggles, his love of his Grandma and why the number 10 shirt is so important to him.

Wonderful illustrations, and great subject matter - Messi is a fabulous example of working hard to achieve your dreams, but also showing how to handle losses.

This is such a beautiful short story, with a brief description of the career and life of the greatest of all. Plus, the illustrations are so accurate and amazing. Higly recommended!

My 8-year-old ‘Messi-crazed’ nephew has just finished reading this spectacular book … to me!

I asked him what he thought people needed to know about this book:

⚽️ You will learn why Messi likes jersey #10
⚽️ You will learn why Messi points to the sky when he scores
⚽️ You will learn why Messi is considered the G.O.A.T.
⚽️ You will learn why his grandma is an important part of his life.
⚽️ You will learn about all the things he could have used as an excuse not to play soccer.
⚽️ You will learn what Messi does when he loses.

I’d like to add that it was great to read about someone who believes that “life’s obstacles are just a part of the journey to reach our dreams.” Most fans see his success and don’t consider the multitude of losses on the way to the top. Furthermore, I appreciated that he discusses how he handles losses and this gives fans something to focus on while they are perfecting their skills.

⚽️ Messi’s advice:
“You can overcome anything if only you love something enough.”

The illustrations are fantastic and the photos/timeline adds just enough information to get children interested to investigate further.

✔️Available Nov. 21, 2023

I was gifted this book by Quarto Publishing Group, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This entire series is enjoyable. I like reading about people, including about people who I do now know anything about. I am not a sports person. I enjoyed this book. Well written, well illustrated, very accessible, another good addition to this collection.

The story is ok, but I didn't like the art.

Thanks #netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

In this book the life and success of Leo Messi is explored in a clear and easy to understand way. As someone who has no knowledge or prior interest in Messi I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was really easy to read, the pictures are well drawn and I feel I could easily have a chat with the football fans in my family about my newly gained knowledge!
Children will also benefit from the artwork, short pieces of text and easy sentence structures. It’s refreshing to see an inspirational story written in an engaging way which children won’t find overwhelming.

Leo Messi is the inspiring and fascinating story of the soccer legend, Lionel Messi. He loved soccer from the time he was young, and he excelled at it. This tells the story of his rise from humble beginnings to his great World Cup win for his home country in 2022. Great inspiration for kids interested in soccer or any sports. With hard work and determination, you can do amazing things!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

I’m a huge fan of the Little People Big Dreams series of biographies. Once again, they’ve written and illustrated a charming overview of an extremely popular person. Even those who don’t know much about sports, have heard of world famous soccer star Leo Messi. This soccer star’s biography is sure to appeal to young people, even to reluctant readers.

Arguably, Leo Messi never plays for teams I follow, e.g. Argentina, FC Barcelona, but I'm well aware he's one of the best players, if not the best player, alive. There is much to be said about Cristiano Ronaldo, but this isn't his book, so...

In his youth, Leo needed injections to help him grow. I didn't know this about him. It makes for a very interesting story. I did know he was very young when he started at the Barça youth program. His rise is obviously very well known, and his fame deserved.

Here we have the perfect book for the little football/soccer lover that is a fan of the amazing Messi.

The reader get to know about his life growing up and his way to become the superstar he is.

I really hope this book comes out in Swedish one day since it would do a great favor to get kids to read more or adults reading more for kids.