PB: The Magic Hockey Stick - Ages 4+
Do you believe in magic? Inspired by a real event, this is the fictional tale of a little girl whose parents win Wayne Gretzky's hockey stick at an auction.
Tracy does. When she starts using Wayne Gretzky’s hockey stick, won by her parents at a charity auction, she suddenly becomes the best player on her hockey team. She hasn’t become a better player overnight—it’s the magic of The Great One’s stick! But while Tracy’s star is on the rise, Wayne’s is steadily dropping. He’s in the greatest slump of his career. Tracy knows that Wayne needs his magic stick back, but she needs it, too. The question is: Who needs it more?
“Even children who have no knowledge of hockey will be entertained by this book and impressed by its message. Maloney and Zekauskas have scored a winning goal with this one.”—School Library Journal
Peter Maloney graduated from Rutgers College and took courses in illustration and design at the School of Visual Arts in New York. While submitting children's picture books to publishing houses, he worked at an advertising agency in New York City creating ads, jingles, and TV commercials. Around this time he also met a young college graduate named Felicia Zekauskas who he discovered shared his dream of writing and illustrating children's books. Peter and Felicia went into business together, starting a graphic design and advertising company called Zinc, and collaborating on picture books. Their first book, Redbird at Rockefeller Center, is the story of a baby redbird stranded atop the world's most famous Christmas tree. Their second book, The Magic Hockey Stick, is based on what happened to them after they won Wayne Gretzky's hockey stick at a charity auction at Madison Square Garden. Peter now lives on the 37th floor of a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan. From his window, he can still see the distant woods he played in as a child.
Felicia Zekauskas illustrates children's books alongside her husband, Peter Maloney. Their first book, Redbird at Rockefeller Center, is the story of a baby redbird stranded atop the world's most famous Christmas tree. Their second book, The Magic Hockey Stick, is based on what happened to them after they won Wayne Gretzky's hockey stick at a charity auction at Madison Square Garden. Their other works include Snapper, Bronto Eats meat, One Foot, Two Feet, and Saved By the Ball.