Big Kicks (review)

Biggie the bear is happy with his solitary life of playing jazz, eating peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches, and collecting stamps when the town soccer team (the Mighty Giants) comes knocking at his door, looking for an emergency substitute player. Biggie has never before played You’re big, and the ball is little”) and thoughtful consideration (“I do look good in red”) convince Biggie to give it a try. Though he’s not very adept, he does miraculously manage to the game, but reassurance from Twirly Squirrel (“simultaneously block a last-minute shot and score the winning goal when he bends over to pick up a rare stamp that just happens to be on the field. After the team tries, unsuccessfully, to carry Biggie off the field, they retire to his house for a post-victory party, and the tale ends with Biggie having added soccer fan, if not player, to his list of hobbies. Kolar uses repeated phrases to great comic effect, and the fact that Biggie is indifferent to his soccer ineptitude makes the story both refreshing and all the more amusing. The bold digital art is warm and sturdy, and the cast of animal characters, possessed of flat, candy-like shapes with considerable charm, are gentle-looking without being wimpy. The humongous, chocolate-colored Biggie gains a sweetly naïve look from his widely spaced eyes, and his obvious top-heaviness makes his lack of athletic skills entirely credible. In a story perfect for sharing with groups or one on one, this big bear is sure to be a winner.