Le Maillot (French) / El jersey (Spanish)

BASIC INFO	LANGUAGE LEVEL	COMPREHENSION-AIDING FEATURES
Book Title Le Maillot (French) / El jersey (Spanish) The Jersey (English) Author(s) Jennifer Degenhardt Illustrator(s) Student artist Jaelynn Jessmer (French version) Student artist Matías Salazar (Spanish version) Other Contributors Translation and adaptation from Spanish by Theresa Marrama (French version) Genre Realistic Fiction Publisher: Self-published Publication date: Le Maillot (2020), El jersey (2017)	Level Level 1 (according to author’s website) Total Word Count Unknown	Illustrations YES (French version) Glossary YES Guiding Questions NO Context NO Other

IDENTITIES PRESENT IN THE TEXT		SYNOPSIS
Races, Ethnicities, and Nationalities Nationalities: U.S. American; Ivoirian (French version) U.S. American; Guatemalan (Spanish version) Races: As a character walks through an airport in New York City, he notices the people around him: “Il y a des Européens et il y a des Asiatiques” / There are Europeans and Asians (p. 14, French); “Hay personas hispanas. Hay personas europeas. Hay personas de Asia” / There are Hispanic people. There are European people. There are people from Asia (p. 13, Spanish). These are the only mentions of race in the books; the race(s) of the main characters are not defined. Languages spoken French; Dioula (French version) Spanish; Kaqchikel (Spanish version) Sex and Genders Female Male Ages Child: 0-6 Child: 6-12 Mid-life Adult: 35-65 Social classes Poor Middle Class	Sexual Orientation Other: Not specified; the mom and dad are married to each other. (Dis)Abilities and Neurotypes Other: None mentioned in the text. Religions, Syncretism, and Spirituality Other: None mentioned in the text. Relationship and Family Structures Extended family: The story mentions extended family members, but they are not characters in the book. Heteroparental Body Descriptions None mentioned in the text.	From the publisher’s website French/Spanish versions: Mathieu/Matías is a typical 7-year-old boy. He is a huge fan of the professional soccer teams in Europe, especially the teams in the French/Spanish league, Ligue 1/La Liga. When Mathieu/Matías is not playing soccer, he is watching soccer videos on his iPad. He always looks the part, too, as he can mostly be found wearing uniforms of players on his favorite team, Paris Saint-Germain/FC Barcelona. His focus on the ball continues when he travels to Ivory Coast/Guatemala with his family on an annual trip where he meets Jean/Brayan. Jean/Brayan is a 6-year-old Ivoirien/Guatemalan boy who also loves soccer. Like Mathieu/Matías, he plays every chance he gets. Also like Mathieu/Matías, Jean/Brayan idolizes his favorite player on the National Ivory Coast/Barça team, Didier Drogba/Lionel Messi. He wants nothing more than to wear a jersey with the famous forward’s name and number, but those are difficult to find where he lives in the south of Ivory Coast near the North Atlantic Ocean/on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. In this level 1 book, readers will learn about the culture of Ivory Coast/Guatemala and how a soccer jersey further connects two soccer-obsessed boys from two different countries.

THIS BOOK IN OTHER LANGUAGES
This review references the present-tense French version, titled Le Maillot, and the present-tense Spanish version, titled El jersey. Other versions of this book/story: The Jersey (English-language version of the Spanish present-tense book) Qu’est-il est arrivé au maillot ? (French past tense) ¿Qué pasó con el jersey? (Spanish past tense) Los chicos: Matías y Brayan (a simplified version in Spanish with more extensive illustrations)

ILLUSTRATIONS	STORY	SOCIAL JUSTICE
To what extent do the illustrations present positive and thoughtful representations of identities? The cover of each book features hand-drawn artwork. The French cover illustration is in black and white. It presents a young boy with dark skin tone and short curly hair. He is wearing a t-shirt and cropped pants and is kicking a soccer ball. There is also a thought bubble with a soccer jersey that has the number 29 and the name Mbappé. Interior illustrations are simple black and white drawings. The Spanish cover illustration is hand-drawn with crayons. It presents a young boy with skin that is colored light brown, and hair colored both yellow and black; he is near a soccer ball. There is also a thought bubble with a red and blue soccer jersey that has the number 10 and the name Messi in yellow. There are no interior illustrations.	We understand identities are complex and no single story represents the spectrum of identity-based experiences. Also, a text may address a stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization without relying on it. *Does any stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization affect any positive and thoughtful representations of identities in the text?* Characters of color are assumed to have low family economic wealth, low educational attainment and/or low income. All the characters who live in Ivory Coast (French version) and Guatemala (Spanish version) are portrayed as having low material wealth, unlike their visitors from the United States.	This section is for teachers who are working towards sourcing more texts within the four domains of anti-bias education. We are excited about reading all books and we understand that not all books are written for this specific purpose. *Does this text work toward goals within any of the* four domains of anti-bias education as defined by Learning for Justice? Action: Motivate students to act by highlighting individual and collective struggles against injustice:

LLLAB’s REVIEW
The novels Le Maillot & El jersey celebrate a child’s generosity and a global love for soccer, and also open opportunities for critical discussions on saviorism and redistribution of wealth. The book tells parallel stories of two young boys–Mathieu/Matías who is 7 years old and lives in the United States and Jean/Brayan who is 6 years old and lives in Ivory Coast/Guatemala. Both boys love soccer, cheer for their favorite teams, and play the sport with their friends. At the end, the U.S. child becomes aware of the disparity of resources available to him and to the child whom he met while on vacation, and discovers that his outgrown clothing is valuable to others. The story has a parallel structure that gives equal time to both the family from the U.S. and the family from Ivory Coast/Guatemala, allowing both characters to develop. When the events take place in Ivory Coast/Guatemala, the details anchor the text in the Ivoirian/Guatemalan setting. Rather than relying on generalized settings, the book integrates authentic cultural markers. In the Spanish version, these include the marimba, the traditional huipil, local agricultural staples like café y milpa, and the use of lanchas, alongside phrases in the indigenous Kaqchikel language. In the French version, these include phrases in the local Dioula language; local attractions such as a beautiful mountain, a waterfall, and monkeys; zouglou music; Ivorian women wearing the traditional pagne; the diversity of climates as the family travels from one area of the country to another; the water taxis that provide transportation along the coast; and traditional foods such as alloco and kedjenou. The Ivoirian/Guatemalan characters are depicted as hard-working. In addition, they find creative ways to make up for their limited material resources: Jean/Brayan’s mom finds a way to earn extra money to buy her son the Mbappé/Messi jersey he wants for his birthday; the Ivoirian/Guatemalan kids find a way to play soccer without purchasing a soccer ball; and before his birthday, Jean/Brayan creates his own homemade Mbappé/Messi jersey out of materials he has available (pp. 11, 31, 34). The story provides a tangible example of the local community’s resilience in the face of economic disparity. When describing Jean’s/Brayan’s circumstances, the text details his resourcefulness: “Le <<ballon de foot >> n’est pas réel. <<Le ballon de foot >> est en papier et un scotch. La famille n’a pas d’argent pour acheter un ballon de foot>>” / “El ‘balón’ no es un balón real. El ‘balón’ es de papel y cinta. La familia no tiene dinero para un balón de fútbol” / The soccer ball isn’t a real ball. The ‘ball’ is made of paper and tape. The family doesn’t have money for a soccer ball (p. 11-12/12). This detail highlights a child’s creativity rather than focusing on the poverty framing found elsewhere in the text. Educators may also wish to note that in many contexts, a homemade ball is not a sign of limited resources but of children’s active choices to reuse and recycle. The depiction of used clothing from the U.S. getting a second life in another country can open up an opportunity for a classroom discussion about where clothing comes from and where it goes when we drop it in a “recycling bin.” Mathieu/Matías and his family live in New York City, but Mathieu’s/Matías’ father is originally from Ivory Coast/Guatemala. The family trip to Ivory Coast/Guatemala is for the purpose of visiting extended family as well as for sightseeing. But readers never meet Mathieu’s/Matías’ extended family. The text tells us several times that the people of Ivory Coast/Guatemala are “poor but happy,” which can be a problematic trope. “Assinie n’a pas beaucoup d’argent mais c’est un village très heureux” / “Jaibalito no tiene mucho dinero, pero es caserío muy feliz” / Assinie/Jaibalito doesn’t have a lot of money but it’s a very happy village (p. 4); “À Man il y a beaucoup d’activité. C’est une ville heureuse” / “En Antigua, hay muchas actividades. Es una ciudad alegre” / At Man/Antigua there is a lot of activity. It’s a happy city (p. 16); “Les élèves doivent beaucoup travailler, mais ils sont contents. Les élèves d’Assinie sont toujours contents” / “Es mucho trabajo, pero están felices. Los niños de Jaibalito siempre están felices” / The students have to work a lot, but they are happy. The students of Assinie/Jaibalito are always happy (p. 33/36). Teachers may wish to include some non-fiction information about Ivory Coast/Guatemala in a unit that includes this book to complement this single story. Rather than visiting the home of relatives in Ivory Coast/Guatemala, the family from the U.S. travels around as tourists. They develop a connection with employees at the hotel where they are guests, by talking about their kids and the area of Ivory Coast/Guatemala they are in. After getting to know each other, the employees invite the guests to their home. This invitation comes before the children meet. “Nia invite la famille chez elle pour célébrer l’anniversaire de Jean” / “Ese día, Candelaria invita a la familia a su casa para celebrar el cumpleaños de Brayan” / Nia/Candelaria invites the family to her home to celebrate Jean’s/Brayan’s birthday” (pp. 38/41-42). The power dynamics between a hotel guest and a hotel employee may make this relationship problematic. Towards the end of the book, the boys finally meet at the birthday party. Jean’s/Brayan’s mom gives her son the jersey she purchased for him. To everyone’s surprise, it is the same jersey that Mathieu’s/Matías’ mother gave away to Goodwill in chapter 1. The U.S. American child gives the Ivorian/Guatemalan child a soccer ball that he has bought and a second used jersey from his own wardrobe. However, this gesture is not entirely spontaneous, as the mother has prompted Mathieu/Matías ahead of time, “Veux-tu lui donner ton uniforme de Drogba?” / “¿Quieres regalarle el uniforme de Neymar?” / Do you want to give him your Drogba/Neymar uniform? (p. 40/43). Later, Mathieu/Matías plans to continue to give things to Jean. Mathieu/Matías says “J’ai beaucoup de vêtements, de chaussures et d’uniformes et Jean en a moins que moi. Je veux partager” / “Yo tengo mucha ropa y zapatos y uniformes y Brayan tiene menos que yo. Quiero compartir” / I have a lot of clothing, shoes, and jerseys and Jean has less than me. I want to share” (p. 43/46). At this, Mathieu’s/Matías’ parents smile: “Tous les deux ont un grand sourire parce qu’ils savent que leur fils a appris beaucoup plus que lire en français dans ce voyage en Côte d’Ivoire” / “Los dos tienen unas sonrisas muy grandes porque saben que su hijo aprende mucho más que leer el español en este viaje a Guatemala” / They both smile because they know that their son learned a lot more than reading in French/Spanish on this trip to Ivory Coast/Guatemala (p. 43/46). The generosity of a child may be the lesson that many readers take away from this book. However, Mathieu’s/Matías’ gift could also be viewed as saviorism. This story could be an opportunity to inspire generosity in students, but it may also serve to reinforce the trope of “the poor African/Latin American child who needs to be helped.” In the end, what connects Jean/Brayan and Mathieu/Matías is the fact that the Ivorian/Guatemalan boy wears the U.S. American boy’s secondhand jerseys. Teachers may wish to discuss how different cultures value pre-owned clothing; the norm of arriving at a party with a gift for the host family; and/or the differences between mutual aid, charity, justice, and saviorism. Note to authors: If you are the author of this book and you have feedback, please contact us here. If anything we have written is inaccurate, misleading, confusing, poorly worded, or lacking important context, we would be happy to update our review. Note to readers: Comprehension-based novels contain language that varies in how natural it feels to users of the language. Sometimes the author has intentionally simplified the language as a stepping stone toward proficiency, or complexified the language for a variety of reasons. Other times, variations result from the language proficiency levels, linguistic repertoires, (sub)cultural experiences, geolects, or personal preferences of authors. LLLAB typically does not comment on the linguistic choices of authors (e.g., vocabulary and grammar) since variations occur naturally within groups of language producers. Teachers may wish to supplement novels with additional linguistic material to increase student acquisition of the various geolects associated with the settings of stories. See related discussion of linguistic imperialism at the LLLAB glossary. (This note is included in every LLLAB review published on or after May 2026)

LLLAB’s REVIEW

The novels Le Maillot & El jersey celebrate a child’s generosity and a global love for soccer, and also open opportunities for critical discussions on saviorism and redistribution of wealth. The book tells parallel stories of two young boys–Mathieu/Matías who is 7 years old and lives in the United States and Jean/Brayan who is 6 years old and lives in Ivory Coast/Guatemala. Both boys love soccer, cheer for their favorite teams, and play the sport with their friends. At the end, the U.S. child becomes aware of the disparity of resources available to him and to the child whom he met while on vacation, and discovers that his outgrown clothing is valuable to others.

The story has a parallel structure that gives equal time to both the family from the U.S. and the family from Ivory Coast/Guatemala, allowing both characters to develop. When the events take place in Ivory Coast/Guatemala, the details anchor the text in the Ivoirian/Guatemalan setting. Rather than relying on generalized settings, the book integrates authentic cultural markers. In the Spanish version, these include the marimba, the traditional huipil, local agricultural staples like café y milpa, and the use of lanchas, alongside phrases in the indigenous Kaqchikel language. In the French version, these include phrases in the local Dioula language; local attractions such as a beautiful mountain, a waterfall, and monkeys; zouglou music; Ivorian women wearing the traditional pagne; the diversity of climates as the family travels from one area of the country to another; the water taxis that provide transportation along the coast; and traditional foods such as alloco and kedjenou.

The Ivoirian/Guatemalan characters are depicted as hard-working. In addition, they find creative ways to make up for their limited material resources: Jean/Brayan’s mom finds a way to earn extra money to buy her son the Mbappé/Messi jersey he wants for his birthday; the Ivoirian/Guatemalan kids find a way to play soccer without purchasing a soccer ball; and before his birthday, Jean/Brayan creates his own homemade Mbappé/Messi jersey out of materials he has available (pp. 11, 31, 34). The story provides a tangible example of the local community’s resilience in the face of economic disparity. When describing Jean’s/Brayan’s circumstances, the text details his resourcefulness: “Le <<ballon de foot >> n’est pas réel. <<Le ballon de foot >> est en papier et un scotch. La famille n’a pas d’argent pour acheter un ballon de foot>>” / “El ‘balón’ no es un balón real. El ‘balón’ es de papel y cinta. La familia no tiene dinero para un balón de fútbol” / The soccer ball isn’t a real ball. The ‘ball’ is made of paper and tape. The family doesn’t have money for a soccer ball (p. 11-12/12). This detail highlights a child’s creativity rather than focusing on the poverty framing found elsewhere in the text. Educators may also wish to note that in many contexts, a homemade ball is not a sign of limited resources but of children’s active choices to reuse and recycle.

The depiction of used clothing from the U.S. getting a second life in another country can open up an opportunity for a classroom discussion about where clothing comes from and where it goes when we drop it in a “recycling bin.”

Mathieu/Matías and his family live in New York City, but Mathieu’s/Matías’ father is originally from Ivory Coast/Guatemala. The family trip to Ivory Coast/Guatemala is for the purpose of visiting extended family as well as for sightseeing. But readers never meet Mathieu’s/Matías’ extended family.

The text tells us several times that the people of Ivory Coast/Guatemala are “poor but happy,” which can be a problematic trope. “Assinie n’a pas beaucoup d’argent mais c’est un village très heureux” / “Jaibalito no tiene mucho dinero, pero es caserío muy feliz” / Assinie/Jaibalito doesn’t have a lot of money but it’s a very happy village (p. 4); “À Man il y a beaucoup d’activité. C’est une ville heureuse” / “En Antigua, hay muchas actividades. Es una ciudad alegre” / At Man/Antigua there is a lot of activity. It’s a happy city (p. 16); “Les élèves doivent beaucoup travailler, mais ils sont contents. Les élèves d’Assinie sont toujours contents” / “Es mucho trabajo, pero están felices. Los niños de Jaibalito siempre están felices” / The students have to work a lot, but they are happy. The students of Assinie/Jaibalito are always happy (p. 33/36). Teachers may wish to include some non-fiction information about Ivory Coast/Guatemala in a unit that includes this book to complement this single story.

Rather than visiting the home of relatives in Ivory Coast/Guatemala, the family from the U.S. travels around as tourists. They develop a connection with employees at the hotel where they are guests, by talking about their kids and the area of Ivory Coast/Guatemala they are in. After getting to know each other, the employees invite the guests to their home. This invitation comes before the children meet. “Nia invite la famille chez elle pour célébrer l’anniversaire de Jean” / “Ese día, Candelaria invita a la familia a su casa para celebrar el cumpleaños de Brayan” / Nia/Candelaria invites the family to her home to celebrate Jean’s/Brayan’s birthday” (pp. 38/41-42). The power dynamics between a hotel guest and a hotel employee may make this relationship problematic.

Towards the end of the book, the boys finally meet at the birthday party. Jean’s/Brayan’s mom gives her son the jersey she purchased for him. To everyone’s surprise, it is the same jersey that Mathieu’s/Matías’ mother gave away to Goodwill in chapter 1. The U.S. American child gives the Ivorian/Guatemalan child a soccer ball that he has bought and a second used jersey from his own wardrobe. However, this gesture is not entirely spontaneous, as the mother has prompted Mathieu/Matías ahead of time, “Veux-tu lui donner ton uniforme de Drogba?” / “¿Quieres regalarle el uniforme de Neymar?” / Do you want to give him your Drogba/Neymar uniform? (p. 40/43).

Later, Mathieu/Matías plans to continue to give things to Jean. Mathieu/Matías says “J’ai beaucoup de vêtements, de chaussures et d’uniformes et Jean en a moins que moi. Je veux partager” / “Yo tengo mucha ropa y zapatos y uniformes y Brayan tiene menos que yo. Quiero compartir” / I have a lot of clothing, shoes, and jerseys and Jean has less than me. I want to share” (p. 43/46). At this, Mathieu’s/Matías’ parents smile: “Tous les deux ont un grand sourire parce qu’ils savent que leur fils a appris beaucoup plus que lire en français dans ce voyage en Côte d’Ivoire” / “Los dos tienen unas sonrisas muy grandes porque saben que su hijo aprende mucho más que leer el español en este viaje a Guatemala” / They both smile because they know that their son learned a lot more than reading in French/Spanish on this trip to Ivory Coast/Guatemala (p. 43/46). The generosity of a child may be the lesson that many readers take away from this book.

However, Mathieu’s/Matías’ gift could also be viewed as saviorism. This story could be an opportunity to inspire generosity in students, but it may also serve to reinforce the trope of “the poor African/Latin American child who needs to be helped.”

In the end, what connects Jean/Brayan and Mathieu/Matías is the fact that the Ivorian/Guatemalan boy wears the U.S. American boy’s secondhand jerseys. Teachers may wish to discuss how different cultures value pre-owned clothing; the norm of arriving at a party with a gift for the host family; and/or the differences between mutual aid, charity, justice, and saviorism.

Note to authors:
If you are the author of this book and you have feedback, please contact us here. If anything we have written is inaccurate, misleading, confusing, poorly worded, or lacking important context, we would be happy to update our review.

Note to readers:
Comprehension-based novels contain language that varies in how natural it feels to users of the language. Sometimes the author has intentionally simplified the language as a stepping stone toward proficiency, or complexified the language for a variety of reasons. Other times, variations result from the language proficiency levels, linguistic repertoires, (sub)cultural experiences, geolects, or personal preferences of authors. LLLAB typically does not comment on the linguistic choices of authors (e.g., vocabulary and grammar) since variations occur naturally within groups of language producers. Teachers may wish to supplement novels with additional linguistic material to increase student acquisition of the various geolects associated with the settings of stories. See related discussion of linguistic imperialism at the LLLAB glossary. (This note is included in every LLLAB review published on or after May 2026)

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply