When I first ordered this book from the library, I did not realize it was a children's book. After I discovered it was, I thought it would be fun to read anyway as I am a Lionel Messi fan.

I was right! Although the book was published in 2014 and doesn't have the current stats on Messi, I enjoyed the book nevertheless. There were some fun facts about Messi (His nickname was The Flea/La Pulga because he was so small) as well as some interesting personal information (He suffered from and was treated for growth hormone disorder). It described why he plays for Barca (the team of Barcelona, Spain) as well as for the Argentina national team. He is a dual citizen of both countries. He was born in Argentina, but he moved to Spain to play on Barcelona's soccer leagues so his medical expenses could be covered.

The end of the book was very sweet in that it described how Messi gives back to those institutions that helped him in his life. The Leo Messi Foundation helps needy children and also allows sick children in Argentina get medical help in Spain. Messi is also a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, the international organization promoting children's rights.

In addition, I very much enjoyed the color photos of Messi at different ages...and with different hairstyles. All in all, this was quite a fun book! ( )