The Hockey Tree

by David Ward

Some people will do anything to keep playing hockey! Owen and Holly are having a great day whacking the puck around on the frozen lake. . . until Holly smacks the puck past Owen and it falls down an ice-fishing hole. They figure the game is over, until their father remembers the way the old-timers did it. He cuts an inch-thick round from a fallen tree, then gets a fisherman to dip it in the freezing water so it becomes coated with ice. Now that there's a puck, the game can begin again! David Ward's heart warming story will appeal to hockey lovers young and old, and illustrator Brian Deines' timeless artwork brings to life the "love of the game."

Genres: Canada, Childrens, Sports, Picture Books, Hockey

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2006

About the author

David Ward was born in Montreal and grew up in Vancouver. He was an elementary school teacher for eleven years before completing his master's degree. He is the author of the Grassland trilogy and is a writer and university instructor in children's literature. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and their three children.

Reviews

[Taryn Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great tale of ingenuity, family, Canadian tradition, and of course hockey! Greatly enjoyed by my step son.

[Carolyn]

This is a favourite wintertime picture book that beautifully captures a Canadian winter day. Set in Saskatchewan, Owen and Holly are excited because Humboldt Lake has finally frozen over and it is a perfect morning for a spirited game of pond hockey. The two children are excited to drive to the lake with their dad and before long their skates are laced and the three are laughing and playing together. Unfortunately, just as the family starts to talk about taking a break and enjoying a mug of steaming hot chocolate, Holly smacks at the puck and it flies across the frozen lake and into an ice fishing hole.

The children are terribly disappointed that they’ve lost their puck and assume that the game will have to end. Dad is not quite so willing to concede. He helps Owen and Holly to find a fallen poplar tree near the lake. Once a suitable tree is found, dad saws a piece from the trunk to create a wooden puck and the hockey game resumes.

Brian Deines’ luminous illustrations include icy cold winter scenes that are made warm by his depiction of the joy of playing a favourite sport with friends and family.

A lovely book to share with young children.

On our list of Wonderful Canadian Picture Books
http://goo.gl/bxDAro