Felipe leaves home one morning with a backpack full of mangos. He is on his way to school, but he is a man with a mission. Every time he sees a pair of socks hanging on a line or out a window, he takes them, leaving a mango in their place. He stuffs the first pair with old newspaper, and then stuffs that into each successive pair he steals, in order to make a soccer ball so he and his friends can play before school, during recess, and after school. An author’s note explains that the story was inspired by her Brazilian father’s own childhood experience and that, in fact, many Brazilian children grow up playing street soccer with balls made of socks—including the greatest soccer player of all time, Pelé. Colorful stylized illustrations by an Argentine artist give a sense of life in a small South American town where many people hang out their old socks for children like Felipe to pick up. (Ages 4–7)