The Perfect Match: A Football Fairy Tale
by Chris Becker, illustrated by Dan Taylor
Interest age: 3 to 7
Published by Nosy Crow, 2026
About this book
Every night, Jack asks his dad for his favourite bedtime story: the story of Leo, who loved football more than anything in the world. Unfortunately, Leo is never allowed to play football with his brothers, who make him do all the housework instead.
Yet, one night, Leo’s magical Hairy Squadfather appears in a blaze of stars and transports Leo to Prince Ollie’s football game at the stadium, ready to play on the pitch! When Leo scores the winning goal, the crowd goes mad – but Leo loses his silver boot. Luckily, Prince Ollie finds Leo, and invites him to play on his team, with the final twist being that the whole story is about how Jack’s two dads met.
This adorable Cinderella story with a football twist is a lovely tale about resilience, trying hard and making your wishes come true, as well as featuring a family with two dads. It’s unusual to see a book about football combined with an LGBTQIA theme, which makes this a doubly lovely book – and perfect for Father’s Day.
More books like this
-
Uncle Bobby's Wedding
by Sarah S Brannen and Lucia Soto
4 to 9 years
-
Bathe the Cat
by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by David Roberts
4 to 7 years
-
Goldilocs
by Ella McLeod, illustrated by Rochelle Falconer
3 to 7 years
-
Dylan’s Park
by Dylan Thomas; edited by Helen Docherty
4 to 7 years
Lists of recommended reads
-
Picture books that celebrate LGBTQ+ families
We've put together a list of brilliant picture books that represent - and celebrate - different types of families.