Pelé · A ball, a team, a dream

ZENO MEETS

Pelé

A ball, a team, a dream

Written by Zen Bloom
Art direction by Rowan Vale

A little book to read together.
Turn the page and come along!

Book 10 in the ZenBloomBooks collection

Hello, little explorer!

Zeno is our storybook guide. He dresses up and acts out ideas from this real person’s life.

The boy in these pictures is Zeno. The story is about Pelé.

Read. Point. Wonder. Play.

MEET THE REAL PERSON

Pelé

Pelé grew up in Brazil and loved football. His family did not have much money, so he sometimes played with a ball made from a stuffed sock. He became a brilliant player and helped Brazil win three World Cups.

Zeno in a plain green football shirt and yellow shorts stands on a village field.

A boy loved kicking a ball.

Around him, friends would call.

With speedy feet and play,

The game could fill his day.

Zeno plays with a ball made from a sock filled with rags.

A sock became a ball.

To kick and pass to all.

A simple thing could roll.

And still fly at the goal.

Zeno dribbles a football between three simple markers.

He practised little kicks.

And learned some new tricks.

The ball went left and right.

His feet grew quick and light.

A pass can travel far.

A team needs more than one star.

He learned to share and see.

Where could the next pass be?

Zeno aims a football shot at a simple goal.

His games could draw a crowd.

Fans cheered his name aloud.

With skill, he played his part.

With quick feet and big heart.

Zeno and teammates with travel bags approach a stadium; the scene is a dress-up illustration.

At seventeen, he flew.

His country’s teammates too.

To play a World Cup game.

Where fans would learn his name.

Zeno and friends play a friendly match with plain, unbranded football kits.

His team ran left and right.

And worked with all their might.

They shared the ball to play.

Each pass could help the way.

Zeno and teammates celebrate beside three simple golden cup shapes, not replicas of a branded trophy.

Three World Cups. Hugs and cheers.

Great wins across the years.

He helped his teammates too.

Together, joy just grew.

Zeno helps a child friend up after a fall on the football field.

A game is more than a score.

A kind hand matters more.

When friends fall, help them stand.

Reach out a helping hand.

Zeno and diverse children enjoy football together in a park.

You need not win a game.

Each friend matters the same.

With grass and a sky of blue,

What could your team try new?

Look again

Find the player who

could get the next pass.

Why might sharing help?

Show us with your hands.

Zeno stands with open hands, inviting you to try an activity, in a football pitch.

Have a go

Choose a safe, clear space.

Use a soft ball to play.

Roll or kick to a friend.

Take turns, back and forth.

Tell the story

Someone needs a hand.

How could you help?

What makes a kind teammate?

Tell a grown-up your idea.

Zeno sits cross-legged and thinks about a question, in a football pitch.

A little wonder

Think back to the three cups.

Count: one, two, three!

A team shares a win.

Who would you thank?

FOR GROWN-UPS

A real life, a first little story

Pelé lived from 1940 to 2022. He grew up in Brazil.
He helped Brazil win the men’s World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
He was 17 when he played in his first World Cup.

This book simplifies a longer life. Zeno’s play, friends and props illustrate ideas; they do not reconstruct particular childhood events.

Read slowly. Leave time for questions. Adapt the activities to your child.

Keep discovering

Original text and illustrations for ZenBloomBooks. Created using AI tools, then revised and reviewed for this collection.

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Written by Zen Bloom
Art direction by Rowan Vale