"That's Not Hockey" - a bookwrap

Enjoy a wonderful true story about a legendary goalie who revolutionized the game of hockey.  I simply love biographies. 

Unwrapping

THAT'S NOT HOCKEY!

by Andrée Poulin

 illustrated by Félix Girard

* Age Range:  6-10
* Grade Level:  1-5
* Hardcover: 32 pages
* Publisher: Annick Press
* Pub. Date: Sept. 11, 2018
* Language: English



Editorial Reviews

“Poulin’s taut storytelling style makes this picture book accessible to even the youngest readers while giving us a complete plot populated by well-rounded characters.” —Montreal Review of Books, Summer/18

(B. A. Markus Montreal Review of Books)

“Big, bold, and colorful . . . a memorable introduction to a legendary, innovative hockey player.” —Booklist, 08/01/18

(Carolyn Phelan Booklist)

“Hockey fans will be thrilled with this well-told story, and its glimpse at old-time hockey in Felix Girard’s action-packed illustrations.” —Sal’s Fiction Addiction, 08/19/18

(Sally Bender Sal’s Fiction Addiction)

“A clever introduction to the game-changing career of profession hockey goalie Jacques Plante.” —Kirkus Reviews, 07/01/18

(Kirkus Reviews)

Unwrapping some wonderful illustrations for you to enjoy

About the book 

This is a true story of a very famous Canadian goalie who invented the hockey mask and changed the game of hockey forever.

As a little boy Jacques had an innate passion for the game of hockey.  He starts at a very young age to play and practice.  At the age of three he's out playing every day.  Does he have a regulation hockey puck?  No.  He uses a tennis ball.  At age five he's still a small hockey fanatic and is playing non-stop.  Does he have a real hockey stick to use?  No.  His dad makes him a stick out of a tree root and he forges on with the games.  His first goalie pads are made out of potato sacks and wooden slats made by guess who?  Yes, his sweet dad who offers him many innovative ideas so his son can play the game.  When he's fifteen he plays goal for a factory team in Shawinigan and earns fifty-cents a game.  His greatest success comes when he's twenty-one and the Montreal Canadiens hire him as goalie.  His dream of becoming a great hockey goalie has finally come to fruition. 

Jacques is quick, agile and nicknamed "Jake the Snake".  He has a unique style of playing the game that makes his team a winner over and over again.  This rough and tough game comes with lots of cuts, bruises and injuries, especially if you are the goalie. Jacques suffered  hard-driven pucks to his face resulting in a broken jaw, broken cheekbones, multiple stitches, and a fractured skull.   Finally Jacques gets to his tipping point of being injured one too many times.  He bravely takes a stand and confronts his coach saying enough is enough.  He will not play anymore unless he can wear a protective mask which was unheard of at the time.  

In being courageous and going against all previous hockey tradition he single-handedly changes the way the game of hockey is played forever.

The story is very interesting and engaging.  Kids will love it.  The full-colour illustrations makes the reader feel that they are immersed in it.  Jacques Plant went on to become one of the greatest goalies of all times.  His not backing down and his brute perseverance is a wonderful role-model to be followed by future generations... stand up and fight for what's right. A short bio is featured at the end of the book for further information on this hockey titan.  I highly recommend this book. 

Storywraps Rating - 5 +++ HUGS!!!!!

Meet the author

If she could, Andrée Poulin would read from morning to night. Her love of reading is what brought her to writing. After working as a journalist for many years, she worked in international development. She has written over thirty books for children of all ages. Many have won awards, most notably the TD Children’s Literature Award (French language) for La plus grosse poutine du monde, now translated into English and published by Annick Press as The Biggest Poutine in the World (2016). Her stories deal with friendship, empathy, tolerance, poverty, and solidarity. 

Andrée believes that books can change the world. By setting her stories in Canada, Africa, and Asia, she takes her readers on adventures in discovering other cultures, as she does in Pablo Finds a Treasure (2016, available in Spanish in Fall 2018). Her latest book with Annick Press is That’s Not Hockey! (Fall 2018), a picture book based on the life of the inventor of the goalie mask, Jacques Plante. 

Andrée loves to share her passion for reading and her pleasure for writing with children. She writes a blog, reviews books for the National Reading Campaign, and gives workshops for youth in schools and libraries. 

Andrée was born and raised in Orléans, Ontario. She now lives in Gatineau, Quebec.

About the illustrator

  FÉLIX GIRARD is a professional illustrator living in Quebec City. His work has been published and exhibited numerous times around the world.

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