Love this series. Another great, easy to read overview of a tennis legend. Lovely to read with my kids and great illustrations to capture the imagination.

I didn’t know anything about the life of Rafa Nadal apart from playing tennis so was happy to find out more in this fab picture book for younger children. He was born on the Spanish island of Mallorca and had his first tennis lesson at the age of 4! He was a determined player even winning a tennis tournament with a broken finger! He’s had lots of injuries over the years, but he’s always come back to reclaim his place at the top of his game. He’s known for his kindness on and off the court, particularly helping with a cleanup after his Mallorcan hometown was hit by devastating floods. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for my digital copy via the NetGalley app.

In this series of picture book biographies, the format is similar to that of a fictional picture book. Half of the text focuses on the subjects’ youth, the other half on their achievements as adults, which makes sense since most of them are fairly young.

We loved this book so much and it is a delightful addition to the series of Little People. Big Dreams. I had heard of Rafa but didn't know much about this inspiring legend and enjoyed learning with my daughters as we read his story!

I read this book directly after seeing the new 'Challengers' movie, and so it was very timely for me. I had never heard of this athlete, but enjoyed seeing his career depicted and feel like this book stood out against others in the series. I think its a good introduction to tennis for young readers, who may know nothing about the sport.

My son is a big fan of these books and despite not knowing who Rafa Nadal was he enjoyed reading this book with me. I think this series is really good at teaching children about people who have had a big impression on the world in a particular field.

As a huge tennisfan I just had to read this book, so I’m very thankful that I could read this Thank you Maria Isabel Sánchez, thank you Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and thank you NetGally!

My mother and my aunt are huge tennis fans, grand slams were closely followed. Not a match was missed. That’s how I learned of Rafael Nadal as a teenage kid. I think that I can safely say that Rafa is their favorite tennis player.

When I saw that Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara was gonna make a 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 book about Rafael Nadal I knew I just had to read it! I love the Little People Big Dreams books, they’re inspiring. I have the one about Jane Goodall (my hero) on my bookshelves.

I love the style of Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara. The illustrations are always colorful and the characters always recognizable! Because of my mother and aunt I know a little about Nadal and it’s nice to see those things in the book.

As I mentioned before I really like the books of Little People Big Dreams and and I believe that these books should be on all children’s bookshelves, so they can learn that anything is possible. I hope that more books will be translated into Dutch.

I’ve already ordered a copy of 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬: 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐥 for my mother’s birthday 😉

A good biography about a sports star. I did not know anything about Rafa Nadal beforehand, so this is a great introduction.

📱E-Book Review📱

Rafa Nadal
Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is one of the books in the Little People, Big Dreams series which I've seen absolutely everywhere, but only just started working my way through! (I know ....where have I been!?)

I'm not really a big sports fan, but I do love to watch Wimbledon in the summer.
Again, not a huge follower, but I do keep track on the big names - and Rafa is up there with the best.

It was great to see where he started out and it's so inspiring to watch his passion grow over the years.
I can't believe that he'd been training since the age of 4!
And that he also was a great footballer too! Imagine being that good at multiple sports that you have to choose!

Rafa is so passionate about his sport that he even played with a broken finger! Ouch! That shows such dedication, perseverance and resilience - all great qualities to display to encourage the youngsters who are reading these books!

I also liked that his fear of the dark was included in the book - it made him seem more like a real person (rather than untouchable famous person) and lots of children could relate to this and see that having some fears doesn't make you weak.

Dreams can still be achieved if you work hard and have a passion for your work.

This was a super quick read - full of information - but told in a way that was interesting and fun.
The illustrations were great too, with lots of detail to look at and prompt discussion with younger readers.

This series is actually amazing and I really must add more to my tbr - there are over 100 books in the series already and, like this one, many more still being added.

Great for school libraries, classroom learning, home education shelves and for any of us adults who just love reading!



💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

This was a lovely illustrated book giving the history of Rada Nadal in an accessible and inspiring way, great for children!

Love reading the Little People, Big Dreams Series.
I'm not familiar with Rafa Nadal, so this was the first in the series that I read without knowing who they were.
As a mom of boys this was a great read. It showed that age doesn't matter, and encourages them to follow their passions.
Thank you NetGalley for the change to read.

Another really inspirational one, with lots of great facts about his younger years. Both specifically about his sporting and just general facts that I think kids would be interested to hear about. Lovely illustrations, bright and engaging. Kids will absolutely love this book I'm sure! The only thing I wish, and I mentioned this in my review for another one too, is that it was called Rafael Nadal? Although I have heard him occasionally called Rafa I didn't think that's what he generally went by, so I would have thought Rafael was more appropriate? Although I don't watch an awful lot of tennis, usually just a bit of Wimbledon here and there so I could be wrong about that.

A other great book from a fantastic of series!
I didn't know too much about this person - only that he was a tennis player, so even though this book is aimed children, I learnt so much too.
Great for children to learn about famous/successful people from when they are children themselves and learning about all their different backgrounds.
Great read

Pros: I adore the Little People Big Dreams series of children's books and find myself requesting each one on NetGalley because I end up learning something from them. I think it's fantastic that these books for children focus on the famous person as a child and how they came to be the person the world knows. The attention to detail in the illustrations of each book is always impressive and shows the care given to each subject. Specifically to this book about Nadal, I think this would make a great gift to young athletes . . . or to adults who love tennis!

Cons: None! I can't wait to read more in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Always a pleasure reading the series. This one is about Rafa Nadal, the famous tennis player, though not into tennis myself, I only knew him by name. Rafa was from a well to do family, thus he can learn tennis at early age. But it doesn't make him less compassionate to others, he helped wherever he is needed, and also made a foundation to help others. A good role model to children nowadays.

As a mother of a teenager it has been a while since I have read children’s books but while flipping through the sports section of Net Galley I came across a couple of cute looking biographies from the Little People Big Dreams series.

As a huge tennis fan and player this Rafa Nadal book was a must read! Illustrations are wonderful in this book. I did find Rafa’s story a little basic however as a fan of his I think his whole life revolved around tennis and injuries so there isn’t much to tell. I have read better biographies but in this case I think there isn’t a whole lot more to share.

From the adult perspective I like how there is more detailed two page biography at the back. These books would be a fantastic add to any grade school library!

Thank you Net Galley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books for sharing this book!

Little People, Big Dreams does it again! I really love how in every book they highlight the best qualities of the person that they’re writing about. To be honest, I didn’t know much, if anything, about Rafa Nadal before I read this book, but I definitely can’t say that anymore. I’ll continue to read every single one of these that I can, and I’m excited to collect these and read them to my (future) babies.

Rafa is a championship tennis competitor who was born in Majorca Spain, gifted with sports talents, and tutored in soccer and tennis by his uncles. But he was once a young boy who has problems with nighttime darkness. He is also a man who gives back to his hometown and to others who need help.
The illustrations by Rocio Ledesma are fun, simple, brilliantly colorful, and meaningful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Quarto Publishing Group/Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley. Thank you! Expected publication 04 Jun 2024
@QuartoKids @CBCBook @Frances_Lincoln #LittlePeopleBIG DREAMS @sanchezvegara @TheQuartoGroup

I found it very hard to rate children's books so everything is a 5 star read for me!!
I really loved this book, the illustrations are so beautiful and captivating that I found myself smiling through every page I read.
Amazing book and amazing story of life. Also, this book collection is amazing! Can't wait to read the all!!

"Rafa Nadal" by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara is a delightful addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series. Through captivating illustrations and accessible language, young readers are taken on a journey through the life of one of tennis's greatest champions, Rafael Nadal. What sets this book apart is its ability to entertain while educating; children not only learn about Nadal's achievements on the court but also about his determination and perseverance in the face of challenges. The book is a testament to the series' commitment to inspiring the next generation by showcasing the stories of remarkable individuals in a format tailored for young readers. With its engaging narrative and vibrant artwork, "Rafa Nadal" is a must-read for any child with a love for sports or a curiosity about the lives of extraordinary people.