Taleen Keldjian’s ‘Fútbol!’ Scores a Goal with Kids

LOS ANGELES—Author and artist Taleen Keldjian has written and illustrated her first book, Fútbol!: A Fun Doodle Book on All Things Fútbol, published by Banian Labs’ Blue Wonder Books, in the San Francisco Bay Area. An educational “doodle” book for kids ages 4-9, Fútbol! engages kids with the basics of Fútbol (soccer) and its international appeal. Despite its Spanish title, the 27-page hardcover book is written in English. Fútbol! touches on everything from uniforms and game rules to how fans celebrate and cheer the game, enabling kids to color, doodle, and solve puzzles along the way. Fútbol! also pays tribute to those widely considered to be two of the finest female and male Fútbol players in the world, Alex Morgan (United States) and Lionel Messi (Argentina). By emphasizing how Fútbol is for both girls and boys, and for all countries and cultures, Keldjian’s book unifies all those who love and play the sport, including those who perhaps are just exploring it for the first time. Her exuberant illustrations show both the joy of playing and following Fútbol, as well as the respect owed to the world’s most popular sport. “My publisher asked if I could write and illustrate a doodle book especially for multiracial and multicultural children. There are not too many resources available for those kids in the market today. The subject was free reign, which is quite rare for a young writer/illustrator to be presented with early in their career,” said Keldjian. “Illustrating sports subjects had always excited me, and I had been wanting to work on a professional sports-themed project for a while. I thought to myself, what better subject to appeal to most kids than sports—and the sport which most unites the world today?” Having already made appearances at the Bay Area Kids Book Festival and other signing events, Keldjian is making inroads to new generations of readers with her work. “The sport of fútbol unites us all no matter our background,” said Keldjian. “Every nation in the world comes together to participate, pause for the love of the game, and learn unique cultural traditions from each other.” She also encourages students to try their own hand at writing and illustrating. “When I visit schools, the message I like to share with kids is if you like writing, then keep writing. If you like drawing, then keep drawing. Start out by writing and/or drawing your favorite things and create stories out of it. Practice by writing several drafts and draw layers of sketches. You will get better and one day as a career, creating your own book will become possible. Let your imagination wander and most importantly, just have fun!” Taleen Keldjian is a Los Angeles-based artist and illustrator. She earned her bachelor of fine arts degree with honors in illustration from Art Center College of Design, with awards from The Society of Illustrators in New York and Creative Quarterly 37. She has illustrated for GOOD Magazine, NAUTILUS Magazine, and CALTECH CONNECT. She gravitates towards playful, poetic, and kid-friendly illustration subjects, painting in gouache and acrylic ink. Fútbol! is Keldjian’s doodle book debut and can be found on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/099743970X. More examples of her illustration work can be found on her website, www.taleenkeldjian.com, and her blog, http://artzytalo.tumblr.com/.

Taleen Keldjian’s ‘Fútbol!’ Scores a Goal with Kids

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