PreS-Gr 1-"Oh! The good ol' hockey game,/it's the best game you can name./And the best game you can/name, is the good ol'/hockey game." This is the main phrase of Connors's rousing anthem, "The Hockey Song," a piece of cultural heritage that has now been captured in picture book format for the next generation. While amateur players sing the song, lively illustrations, drawn in Clement's characteristic style, give the play-by-play. The story moves from puck drop to final score, from a shared moment between father and son to an all-out international game. As women, men, and children of various ethnicities join in the fun, more jerseys get added to the mix. Some children will get an extra level of satisfaction just from trying to identify the teams. The book as a whole has a videolike composition to it, dramatically enhancing the look with panoramic long shots and close-ups that are right in the action. Tension gradually mounts as the game gets progressively more intense, although readers do have a chance to breathe during two well-placed period announcements. Overall, the illustrations convey the spirit of the song and hockey itself. VERDICT Young and old hockey fans alike will enjoy this colorful picture book tribute to hockey's anthem.-Rachel Forbes, formerly at Oakville Public Library, Ont. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This colorful picture book presents an illustrated version of Stompin' Tom Connors' The Hockey Song, written in 1973. Short, snappy phrases in the three stanzas conjure up action on the ice, while the refrain declares, OH! The good ol' hockey game, / is the best game you can name. / And the best game you can name, / is the good ol' hockey game. The illustrations depict a community hockey rink in an urban park at night. First a man and a boy start to play, but more people quickly join them until more than 60 folks, young and old, are enjoying hockey together. A Canadian illustrator and political cartoonist, Clement captures the spirit of this rollicking song in his dynamic line-and-wash illustrations, with the lyrics appearing in speech balloons above the players' heads. Unlike many picture books based on songs, this one works even for those unfamiliar with the music. Still, in read-aloud sessions where the words are sung, kids will be happily belting out the chorus by the end. Fun for all ages.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist