Day I Went To My First Football Game, The

The Day I Went to My First Football Game
by M Larson, illustrated by FX Color Studios
Published by M Larson Books 
Review by Sally Meadows
$13.99 ISBN 9781778095641

When Finn’s grandparents give him a football jersey and tickets to his very first professional football game for his seventh birthday, Finn is thrilled…and a little nervous. While he and his two brothers love football, he has heard that the team has the “loudest, craziest fans.” However, that doesn’t stop Finn from soaking up all the excitement with his parents and older brother at the big city stadium.

Author M (Melanie) Larson has effectively captured the exhilaration of attending an in-person major league football game for the very first time. Although the team isn’t specifically named – several professional teams wear green and white – anyone who has lived in Saskatchewan or is familiar with the Roughriders will recognize the quirkiness of their football fans, from the ubiquitous green jerseys to green hair to wearing a watermelon on their heads. The author has done a great job of showing that going to a football game is more than just watching a game: it is an immersive experience with its tailgate parties, meet and greets with former players, the opening jet flyover, popcorn and hotdog snacks, half-time Indigenous powwow dancing and music, and so much more!

The author adds drama to the story with the threat of a sudden thunderstorm that interrupts the game, and later, by a wayward gopher stumbling onto the field who must be chased away by the referee before the game can continue. And, of course, the game is a nail biter, as it often is; the green team is down by 14 points heading into the fourth quarter. Will Finn’s first foray into spectator football result in seeing his first loss—or his first win? 

This book is a wonderful introduction to a beloved Canadian tradition—the football game—that has been enjoyed by young and old for decades. As someone who doesn’t follow football and has never been to a professional football game, I am certainly motivated now to include it on my own bucket list. I suspect this book will inspire many young readers to do the same.

Melanie Larson is a farm wife, mother to three children, and an environmental consultant who lives in southeast Saskatchewan. Melanie’s books encourage education, adventure, safety, and humour.  The Day I Went to My First Football Game is the fourth book in Melanie’s “Adventures of the Barnyard Boys” series. 

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM.