Glory on ice : a vampire hockey story

Title:

Author:

Summary:

After years alone in his castle, Vlad is ready to try something new, so he strolls into town to find a hobby. At first none of the activities seem quite right for him. But when he overhears the junior hockey team vowing to crush and destroy their rivals, he's thrilled. It sounds perfect! Vlad immediately falls for the game, but he also quickly realizes that superhuman powers don't mean much in hockey without a mastery of the basics. Can a centuries-old vampire really learn new tricks? Glory on Ice celebrates teamwork, perserverance, and a love of hockey that will last a lifetime, even for an immortal being.

General Note:

"This is a Borzoi Book"--Title page verso.

"A Junior Library Guild Selection"--Inside jacket flap.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 29 cm

Genre:

Picture books.

Paranormal fiction.

Subject Term:

Vampires -- Juvenile fiction.

Hockey -- Juvenile fiction.

Author(s):

Fearing, Mark,

Publisher:

Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books,

Publication Date:

2020

ISBN:

9781524714512

9781524714529

9781524714536

Publication Information:

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, [2020]

Call Number:

P FERGUS

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003479733	Picture Books	FERGUS	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

After centuries alone in his old castle, Vlad is ready to try something new. When he hears the local hockey team gushing about how they'll crush and destroy their opponents in the next game, he knows he's found the activity for him! Vlad immediately gives the game his all, but he soon realizes that super-human powers don't mean much in hockey without a mastery of the basics.

After weeks of practice, he's finally ready for the big game...but can a hundreds-of-years-old vampire really learn new tricks? This hilarious, energetic picture book encourages teamwork, perserverance, and a love of hockey that will last a lifetime, even for an immortal being.

Author Notes

Maureen Fergus is the author of over a dozen books for young readers. She was born in Saskatchewan and currently lives in Winnipeg with her husband, three children, and their dog, Buddy. Learn more about Maureen at MaureenFergus.com or on Facebook or Twitter at @MaureenFergus.

Mark Fearing has created award-winning editorial cartoons and animated shorts that have appeared on Nickelodeon and G4 and was a production manager for Walt Disney Television Animation. He is also the illustrator of Superhero Instruction Manual , The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot , and many other books for young readers. Visit him on the web at markfearing.com or on Twitter at @MarkFearing.

Reviews (1)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2--This unexpectedly delightful yarn combines vampires, hockey, and teamwork in a uniquely effective fashion. Vampire Vlad's 800-year existence has become dull, so he visits the local community center (umbrella shading his blue-tinged face) to find a new activity. After sampling several activities, he overhears some children saying they will "crush" and "destroy" their hockey opponents, and instantly registers. He buys gear and learns about hockey, but upon arrival discovers becoming a hockey player is a lot of work. Nevertheless he forges on, becomes a passable (and aggressive) player and full member of the team, filling him with true happiness. The story is tongue-in-cheek, with clever nods to his vampiric nature (the store-clerk who gives him "prompt" service is clearly terrified) and the writing is tight, well-paced, and humorous. Impressively, messages about hard work, teamwork, and friendship are woven into the story without ever feeling didactic, perhaps due to the absurd premise. The cartoon-style artwork is entertaining, mixing full-bleed spreads with spot art to create effective page turns and visual storytelling. Fearing inserts clever details such as cameos from Vlad's expressive cat and an iPhone photo in which only Vlad's gear appears. Vlad's team is portrayed as multicultural, including several skin tones and a girl with a red ponytail, although their opponents (who do win) are all large and white. VERDICT Libraries in need of vampire books and/or hockey books need look no further than this briskly funny offering that effectively tucks a lesson under its helmet.--Amy Lilien-Harper, Wilton Lib., CT