Separated from his family when they were forced to flee their home, a young East African boy named Deo lives alone in the Lukole refugee camp in Tanzania. With scarce resources, bullies have formed gangs to steal what they can, and one leader named Remy has begun targeting Deo. But when a coach organizes the children to play soccer, everything begins to change for Deo. And for Remy. By sharing the joy of play, ¿no one feels so alone anymore.¿Readers everywhere will be inspired to read how play can change lives.

Katie Smith Milway, a native of Vancouver, B.C., has coordinated community development programs in Africa and Latin America for Food for the Hungry; consulted on village banking in Senegal with World Vision and was a delegate to the 1992 Earth Summit. She has written books and articles on sustainable development and is currently a partner at nonprofit consultancy The Bridgespan Group, based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Shane W. Evans is the illustrator of many picture books for children, including The Way a Door Closes, a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award winner; Underground, a Coretta Scott King Award winner; My Brother Charlie, a NAACP Image Award winner; We March and Lillian's Right to Vote, Jane Addams Award winners; as well as Chocolate Me! and Mixed Me! He has exhibited his art in West Africa and Paris, as well as in Chicago, New York, and other major U.S. cities. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where he runs Dream Studio, a community art space.