A charming tale of a young girl in an Indian village who just wants to play soccer/football, but can't because it's raining. Lovely illustrations bring the story to vivid life as we see Mina try to find a way to get to do what she loves most, finding out something unexpected along the way. A good story for little ones that adults can enjoy re-reading aloud over and over again too.

I love having the chance to read a book about an Indian girl playing soccer, as it is an important and too rarely depicted topic in picture books. I was pleased that the book focuses on expressing your feelings, finding a way to entertain yourself when you are bored, and building positive family relationships.

But then, in the middle of the book, something disappointed me: How come her mom chose not to tell her before that she played soccer when she was younger. I don't really understand why it had to be secret and an information found by mistake by Mina. I wish it could have been a moment of complicity between the mom and the daughter when Mina first showed interest in playing soccer. This plot twist made me feel perplexed.

In the end, the monsoon stops, and mother and daughter are able to play together, but this initial secret stayed in my mind and prevented me from fully enjoying this book.

Special note: I really enjoyed that the book includes Urdu and Hindi words, with their correct pronunciations at the end of the book. I also appreciated the historical context of this book: "In the northern states of Bihar and Jharkhand in India, local organizations are trying to combat the common practice of child marriage by organizing soccer games for girls."

I wasn't sure at first what to make of Mina vs. the Monsoon. I had a bit of a love/don't-love-so-much reaction to the illustrations. Some charmed me, while others just weren't my cup of tea. But, I do think a lot of children will be drawn to the bright colours and engaging faces.

The basic premise here is that Mina, a young girl living in India, would really like to go outside to play soccer, but it's monsoon season and there's a storm on the way. Stuck indoors, Mina must find ways to occupy herself without getting in her mother's way.

For me, this story was a bit long and some of the middle section of the book seemed unnecessary. However, I did really like the inclusion of Urdu and Hindi words that are summarized in a glossary with a pronunciation guide at the back of the book.

It was also moving to learn that girls in small villages like Mina's are being encouraged to be involved in soccer to help them build a strong sense of accomplishment; this leads to them staying in school longer and is helping to combat the practice of child marriage.

Overall, I'm giving this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yali Publishing LLC for providing me with a DRC of this book that will be available for purchase on December 1, 2018.

Vivid images and thoughtful text weave together to create an engaging book. This book is a work of art. Highly recommended.

Mina vs. the Monsoon is a young reader that introduces Mina, who loves playing soccer in Eastern India. I like that the book uses several phrases that are probably not familiar to the average English reader. There is a small pronunciation guide in the back with definitions, although I think most words are easy for older readers to understand in context.
Mina doesn't give up when the beginning of the rainy season, known as Monsoon, threatens her game. She persists in trying to figure out a solution and in the process finds out something new about her mom.

An uplifting and timely children's book, gorgeously illustrated, offering young people a tale that is likely similar to their own lives.

This is a delightful book about a little girl, Mina, who wants to play soccer, but can't because of the rainy weather outside. (It is monsoon season). She can't understand why her mother won't let her. She tries to distract herself, but just can't.

Then she discovers that her mother used to play soccer, and she gives her her old jersey, and the rain stops, and they go out and play together.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4664" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-19-at-8.53.07-AM.png" alt="" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4663" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-19-at-8.55.28-AM.png" alt="" />

I love that the mother used to play, and still plays with her daughter. I also love that Mina has such a passion for playing.

The book is supposed to get girls interested in playing, because that builds their confidence, and helps keep them in school, so they can get a good education.

The pictures are bright and colorful, and we get to learn words and things in Urdu and Hindi, both by use in context, as well as a glossary at the end of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.