Z is for Zamboni: A Hockey Alphabet (Sports Alphabet)

Z is for Zamboni is an absolute hit in our house! My boys are 3 and 5, and they love flipping through this sturdy board book while pretending they’re at a hockey game. The illustrations are colorful and fun, and the A-to-Z format makes it a great way to introduce new vocabulary—especially for kids who are obsessed with the sport. I also appreciate that it includes some real hockey legends and terms in a kid-friendly way. It’s educational, but still super entertaining. The book is made of thick, durable pages that can stand up to being read (and dropped) a hundred times. If you have a little one who loves the rink, this is the perfect bedtime or anytime read. It’s definitely earned a spot on our bookshelf!

Family Favorite Book - Especially for a hockey loving family. Hockey from A-Z

The best alphabet book in history. I have given this as a gift dozens of times!

I am always curious to learn just what letter will be used in the title of an alphabet book. "Z is for Zamboni" is perfect! Why? Because what I know about hockey is contained in the title: a zamboni (to quote the book) is "a machine that cleans the ice, ensuring for tomorrow's game/ a surface smooth and nice." I looked at all the hockey books in the children's division of Amazon, seeking just one representative, informative book about hockey. I had a request from one of my younger patrons/students for a book on hockey. Being familiar with the alphabet books, I knew this one would not disappoint. In fact, I am sure it will delight. But back to that zamboni. "The ice of the hockey arena becomes rough and chopped-up after the players skate on it for awhile." Repairing it was difficult until Frank Zamboni, in 1949, "invented a motorized ice-resurfacing machine" which "scrapes off a thin layer of ice and lay(s) down an even amount of water" at the beginning of each period and each game. Does the above wording seem written for ages 4-8, the intended audience? The way all these alphabet books works is this: the little rhyming quatrains and illustrations are for kids and the more detailed information on the sides of each double-paged spread is for older audiences, making this book one for all ages. That is pretty much true for all the alphabet books. The history of hockey, players, terms, sporting events, and participation in the sport are items included in the book. And, wow, I learned quite a bit in my read-through. Young readers will have a field day with this book. No, make that: Young readers will have a hockey game with this book. No, that means hitting and shoving and perhaps a P: penalty for two, five, or ten minutes. Do you know that, unlike other sports, when a player is sent to the penalty box, there is no replacement player? That's the double-edged penalty: against the player AND the team. Interesting item: P is for puck, "black rubber to the core." Obviously, puck represents the P, not penalty, because the word "puck" is lesser known than "penalty." K is for King Clancy: "How much can one man do?/ Not only did he play and coach,/ he was a manger, too." And a referee. In fact, he is such a legend that an award was set in his name and presented annually to the player that "best displays leadership skills on and off the ice." Oh yes, I forgot. I know Gretzky, in addition to zamboni. Wayne Gretzky "is considered by many to be the greatest player to ever play the game of hockey...and holds over 60 NHL records for scoring and playmaking." Indeed! Other letters: E is for equipment (Jacques Plante was the first goalie to wear a mask--1959)--the illustration shows two boys, age 8 or so, sitting on a bench in the locker room, intently putting on their uniforms with their equipment next to them (my favorite illustration!), S and T are for penalties--Slash and Trip, H is for the Hall of Fame, which opened in Toronto in 1961, U is for Team USA, "Who, to everyone's surprise,/ at Lake Placid won Olympic Gold/," and O is for the "Original Six,/ the first teams in the NHL:/ Boston, Toronto, New York, Montreal, Detroit, and Chicago, as well." This review began with the last alphabet letter and will close with the first: A is for Arena, but also All-Star game. An interesting factoid: "The fans often pick the team starters." It is widely known in educational circles that a good test is also a teaching tool. I hope this review serves the same purpose, not only to enlighten about the book's contents, but also to offer a few hockey facts for brain storage. Although intended for audiences 4-8 (I want to extend that to 12), "Z is for Zamboni" is the kind of directly presented information with excellent illustrations that entice adults to appreciate it along with their children. Highly recommended to those seeking background knowledge of the game.

This board book goes through the entire alphabet, giving each letter it's own page and it's own hockey term or reference. The terms touch on the game of hockey itself and the history of the sport. However, I was a little disappointed in a few of the references. There are some that are so old, obscure, or nonsensical that parents may not even know what it means or who the person is (e.g. "Y is for two glorious Canadian Years-- the Summit Series and the Salt Lake Games"; huh?) More than a few are just plain unimaginative. And there are plenty of terms I would like to have seen in the book but didn't. There's no Playoffs, no Faceoff, no Net. It refers to the Stanley Cup as "Lord Stanley's Cup" (putting it under the letter L) which is technically correct but isn't how it's really referred to. Also, the writing is iffy at best. Nothing rhymes or has any sort of rhythm whatsoever, and at times really isn't even grammatically structured very well. Overall, though, even though it doesn't sound like it, I do like the book. Most of my dislikes are nitpicky. It's a cute book, especially for the hockey fan who wants to get their kid into it the sport as well. It's a fun and educational read.

Great book

The Product: I bought this for my nephew's 2nd birthday who runs into my hockey decorated room calling it "Hockeytown" and turns on my television always expecting the Red Wings game to be on. He opened it and immediately squealed "hockey!" and began turning it's pages pointing and laughing and saying hockey to the pages that obviously display the game. It's perfect for children just learning their ABC's and have a love for the sport, but also perfect for any hockey fan as it has the simplicity of learning the alphabet on the pages, but also on the edges of each page a more higher learning reading experience to the wonderful game. It is a book that he can have for many years and learn from far beyond his ABC's. He just simply loved it. Best thing ever! The Seller: It was shipped and received quicker than I expected, and it was very well packaged. Thank you so much. I will be a repeated customer in the future. :) Have a wonderful day!

We love to gift this to the little kids in our family. It's a fun way to learn about hockey while practicing your alphabet. Pictures draw the eye.