Brady Brady and the Singing Tree

Carol L. MacKay is a children’s librarian living in Bawlf, Alberta.

Tes is the only girl on Brady Brady’s hockey team, the Icehogs. Her
being a girl isn’t an issue with her teammates. After all, Tes loves
hockey as much as boys do, and has developed a wicked slap shot called
“the twirlin’ torpedo.” But when Tes and her team face the Hounds,
the most annoying team in the division, Tes becomes the target for their
mean-spirited heckling in Mary Shaw’s Brady Brady and the Twirlin’
Torpedo.

In Brady Brady and the Singing Tree, “Tree,” whose real name is
Elwood, loves to play hockey for fun. It’s a concept that seems to be
lost on Tree’s father, who dreams of seeing his son play in the
National Hockey League. But Tree has a dream, too. He wants to sing the
national anthem at an NHL game.

While earlier stories in the Brady Brady picture-book series focused
primarily on the title character, these two new offerings spotlight
other members of the Icehogs team who have encountered some personal
difficulty in the world of minor hockey. In true Brady Brady fashion,
the problems are sorted out with a little inventiveness on the part of
the team. Both action-packed adventures emphasize the virtues of good
sportsmanship without preachiness.

Chuck Temple’s vibrant cartoon-style illustrations are a perfect
match for these stories. The cover art is appealing, energetic, and
certain to draw the interest of young hockey fans. Recommended.