Caress It Like Messi starts on the morning of the 2023 Women's World Cup final, with England missing a clear-cut chance when a header is badly misdirected. Freya, 13, a talented footballer herself, shouts at the TV screen in frustration. But her brother Rye, 8, sympathises: "It happens to me all the time. The ball hits my head and shoots off in any random direction." Rye's corkscrew curls are the problem. They have a crazy, trampoline-like effect on the ball; he has no control over where it lands. Rye's an easy-going kid but when his football pals start calling him names, he slumps. The narrative takes the reader on Rye's path to self- discovery and self-esteem, via Lapland and a meeting with a very famous reindeer who himself had struggles with a standout facial feature which, in the end, proved to be the making of him. With its positive message about developing a thick skin to cope with adversity, it's a tale that will cheer up any child who has faced challenges. It ends with a heart-warming family reunion on Christmas Day.