Henry Holton Takes the Ice
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
A lively hockey and ice dancing picture book in the tradition of Billy Elliot and The Sissy Duckling
Henry Holton’s whole family is hockey mad. Everyone, that is, except Henry. When he holds a hockey stick, Henry becomes a menace to the game—and an embarrassment to his sports-minded family. It’s not until he sees his first ice dancing performance that Henry realizes there’s something he can do on the ice that doesn’t involve boarding and body checking. Henry is ready to hang up his gear and try on some figure skates, but first he has to convince his hockey-obsessed family to let him follow his own path.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Despite its icy setting, Bradley's debut imparts a warm, encouraging message to kids feeling out of step with their families' interests. At age seven, redheaded Henry Holton can outskate anyone in the history of his "hockey mad" family, but much to the embarrassment of his parents and sister, his feet fail him whenever he picks up a hockey stick. Watching an ice-dancing demonstration, Henry recognizes his calling: "It was magic. Ice magic!" With the encouragement of his grandmother, Henry finds the right skates for him. Blending scribbly pencils with soft watercolors and collaged elements, Palacios ('Twas Nochebuena) humorously reinforces the Holtons' obsession with hockey (Henry's mother drives a Zamboni, and the family dog, Gretsky, wears a hockey jersey) while subtly revealing Henry's embrace of his individuality: posters and books of animals and robots adorn his room, and his joyful expression while ice dancing confirms he has hit his stride. Equal parts sensitive and comic, it's a rewarding reminder that there's more than one way to get in the game. Ages 6 8.
