Goodnight, Hockey Fans

by Andrew Larsen, Jacqui Lee (Illustrator)

Overview

A young boy doesn't want to go to bed. The hockey game is on! “What if I can't fall asleep's” the boy says. “Don't worry,” says his dad. “You will.” After his parents have tucked him in and turned out the light, he shines a flashlight on his prized hockey possessions around his room: the posters of his favorite players, the pennant for his favorite team, the puck. Then he decides to listen to the game on his bedside radio, which he places under his pillow. With the familiar drone of the announcer's voice for company, the boy drifts off to sleep. He dreams he has joined his favorite team on the ice — where he scores the winning goal! And the boy smiles as the announcer exclaims, “What a play! What a goal! What a game!”Award-winning author Andrew Larsen's simple yet evocative story sets just the right tone for the youngest children, who can relate to the boy's disappointment about missing the exciting nighttime game and his fears that he won't be able to fall asleep. Jacqui Lee's illustrations in soothing greens and blues are done in a wonderful blend of nostalgic and contemporary styles that suit the story's timelessness. This book provides all of the appeal of the perfect bedtime story: the reassurance of caring parents tucking the boy in and then coming back later to check on him, the bedtime routine, the atmospheric winter night outside while it's cozy and snug inside, and the promise of dreams come true.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771381055
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	10/03/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	191,526
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Andrew Larsen is the acclaimed author of such books as Goodnight, Hockey Fans, A Squiggly Story, The Not-So-Faraway Adventure, In the Tree House and The Imaginary Garden. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Jacqui Lee is a graphic designer and the illustrator of I Am Josephine (And I Am a Living Thing), Taffy Time and the Murilla Gorilla series for young readers. Jacqui currently lives in London, England.

Editorial Reviews

A satisfying slice of life that is all the more valuable for helping libraries fill the ongoing demand for sports stories in picture-book collections.—Booklist

Larsen evocatively captures a lovely childhood moment.—Kirkus Reviews

Goodnight, Hockey Fans, with its balance of sports action and winding down for bedtime, is a book worth reading to your little Gretzky or Wickenheiser.—CM Magazine

From the Publisher

2017-08-02
A hockey superfan can't get to sleep until he tunes his radio to the big game.Early one night, a crescent moon and a sprinkling of stars shine over a dozen houses in a small village. Inside one, a multiracial family (brown-skinned dad, white mom, brown-skinned child) watches the hockey game together, but the son's bedtime comes before the game ends. "What if I can't fall asleep?" he asks as they put him to bed. Indeed, he stays restless and awake, using his flashlight to illuminate items in his room. " ‘Goodnight, hockey puck,' he whispers." He suddenly remembers that he has his dad's radio and turns it on, tuning into the game. With this in his ears, he's soon asleep, dreaming of an exciting hockey game, one in which he bursts onto the ice and seizes control of the puck. After a moment of shock, the other players give chase, too late to catch him. He shoots, he scores! "What a play! What a goal! What a game!" When his parents open the door to check on him, they see that he's sleeping comfortably but they also hear, faintly, the sound of the radio broadcasting the game. "Goodnight, hockey fans from coast to coast." Larsen evocatively captures a lovely childhood moment. Lee's illustrations are nicely composed, with minimal elements and clever use of light. While hockey fans are the most obvious audience for this book, it depicts a familiar childhood scene. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews