Shawn Sheep the Soccer Star: The Barnsville Sports Squad Series

by Erin Mirabella / Illustrated by Sarah Davis

Shawn Sheep is the best soccer player around. He can dribble upfield and down. He can shoot from the corner and catch the edge of the net. He can pass, he can kick, and most of all he can score goals better than anybody else.

At least that’s what he’s been telling everyone. But when it comes time for the biggest match of the season, Shawn is so busy bragging that he turns off his teammates and makes some mistakes that could cost them the game.

It turns out Shawn has a lot to learn about being a good team player. And when he sees his soccer hero making the same mistakes, Shawn knows what he has to do.

Children ages 5-8 will love this action-packed story, which emphasizes teamwork and fairness. Sarah Davis' vibrant illustrations bring all the animals on the team to life as they run, flip, and cheer through the pages. Includes an "all about soccer" page and a fun fitness fact that kids can practice every day.

The Barnsville Sports Squad introduces kids to Olympic sports like cycling, weightlifting, kayaking, and wrestling—sports that many adults don't discover until later in life. Each story spotlights a different character from the Barnsville Sports Squad. The athletes and sports that the author encountered in her own time at the Olympic Training Center inspired the situations her characters face and their unique personalities. As kids are entertained by the notion of a chicken lifting weights and a lanky horse cramming himself into a kayak, they will learn about mental toughness, sportsmanship, and healthy choices. Available late May, 2008. Get pumped up for Olympic soccer!

Hardcover with jacket.Full color.

8.5" x 10", 32 pp.
VP-SSSS
$15.95

Erin Mirabella is a Home Depot Olympic athlete in track cycling. She represented the United States in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, placing fourth in the points race in 2004. Erin won two gold medals at the 1999 Pan American Games, won a gold medal at the Goodwill Games, and competed on eight World Championship Teams. In 2006, Erin received the prestigious Jack Kelly Fair Play award from the U.S. Olympic Committee following the committee's decision to overturn a ruling that temporarily awarded the bronze medal to Erin after her competitor tested positive for a banned substance at the Olympics in 2004.

Erin grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, and began riding with her parents at a young age. She started racing at the Kenosha velodrome at age 9 and competed in her first Junior Nationals at age 13. She won her first Junior National Championship at age 14, setting a junior 200-meter record that still stands today. Erin graduated from high school early in order to pursue her passion for cycling. At age 18 she was invited to live and train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

At the Olympic Training Center, Erin lived with other athletes training for many different sports. This experience opened Erin's eyes to the importance of learning about and trying different sports. She also noticed that often it is not physical but mental limitations that hold athletes back: fear of failure, temptation to cheat, not believing in oneself, and a lack of discipline or focus, to name a few.

Erin's ideals of sportsmanship will help kids not just in sports but in every aspect of their lives. Erin lives in Divide, Colorado.

Sarah Davis is a full-time artist who has worked on a wide range of projects, including toy design, storyboards and concept art, advertising, and character design. She also provides the illustrations for another popular series, Childhood Heroes, which creates personalized children’s books in association with some of Australia’s biggest sports stars. She lives in Sydney, Australia.