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Soft Skull Sam
After a ball accidentally bounces off his head during a soccer game, Sam overcomes his fear of head shots to win the match and become the star of his team
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Library Binding
First published December 31, 1981
About the author
Syd Hoff
212 books72 followersWhether you’re seven or seventy, the chances are you’ve probably come in contact with one of his many books (150 plus), or cartoons that have appeared in over 200 magazines in the course of his lifetime, including Laugh it Off which was syndicated for 20 years. His comic strip Tuffy, about a little girl who did funny things, was declared essential for national morale during WWII by William Randolph Hearst.
Syd has worked in diverse genres. He had the distinct honor of working with Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen as a contributor of short fiction writing. He was awarded national advertising commissions for large companies such as Chevrolet, Maxwell House Coffee and others. He had his own TV show (Tales of Hoff on CBS), traveled the world as entertainment on cruise ships and entertained children and teachers in schools and libraries across the country.
Syd has worked in diverse genres. He had the distinct honor of working with Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen as a contributor of short fiction writing. He was awarded national advertising commissions for large companies such as Chevrolet, Maxwell House Coffee and others. He had his own TV show (Tales of Hoff on CBS), traveled the world as entertainment on cruise ships and entertained children and teachers in schools and libraries across the country.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 29, 2021
2.7
Okay, I read this because the title was funny but now I have an actual review.
On the whole, though it was a little on the nose, I appreciated the message and the soccer tips were a good addition. But both of these were lacking: Though the whole book is about hitting the ball with your head there is no advice on how to do that properly (which younger me would have appreciated) and, what I really dislike, is that part of Sam's reasoning to hit the ball with his head is because the other kids are teasing him. While this does happen it sort of feels like almost validating the teasing in this format.
Okay, I read this because the title was funny but now I have an actual review.
On the whole, though it was a little on the nose, I appreciated the message and the soccer tips were a good addition. But both of these were lacking: Though the whole book is about hitting the ball with your head there is no advice on how to do that properly (which younger me would have appreciated) and, what I really dislike, is that part of Sam's reasoning to hit the ball with his head is because the other kids are teasing him. While this does happen it sort of feels like almost validating the teasing in this format.
August 5, 2011
My 4 year old son loves this book! I sometimes get impatient reading children's books over and over and end up paraphrasing pages, but this story is well put together- no paraphrasing needed!
June 29, 2016
Another find from the book section of GW. This one I read aloud to Jesse and he didn't scoff or make fun of it or anything. 1981 & still relevant.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews