Books published by publisher Key Porter Books,2002

After spending most of their parents’ money on hockey fees and waking the house in the wee hours for early morning practices, the Flyers Novice AE Team decided it was only right that they give an expression of thanks to their parents. Delightful in its message of appreciation, Thanks to My Hockey Dad introduces young readers to the concept of giving back the love you receive.

From the author of Owl Moon and How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight comes an original series of board books! Meet the hippos—a lovable, zany crew ready to take the youngest reader on a rollicking ride through the world of numbers, colours and feelings. In One Hippo Hops, hippos jump, glide, trot, march and skip their way from one through 10. Featuring Jane Yolen’s delightful rhyming text and Vlasta van Kampen’s spectacular illustrations, each edition has been designed to appeal to the imagination of infants and toddlers. And with sturdy, board-book construction (complete with rounded edges), these classics will stand the test of time—and teething!

Max and Marty Mitchell love nothing more than a good, sweaty game of hockey. But off the ice Max is secretly writing a book featuring a farm boy who makes it to the big leagues. Max's book is set in the 1930s during the opening of Maple Leaf Gardens, and The Hockey Book takes readers into the rough-and-tumble early days of the game. Brian McFarlane blends a detailed knowledge of the sport with an exciting time-travel storyline in this fun entry in the popular series.

Max and Marty Mitchell befriend the star pitcher and catcher of the team — Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson — two of the greatest players in baseball history. The local sheriff and others in Indian River, however, are slow to welcome the stranded players. When Satchel and Josh are wrongly accused of theft and thrown in jail, it's up to the Mitchells and their friends to follow a dangerous path in their efforts to track down the real culprits.

Created as an opportunity for a little group of young puck-chasers, I Love My Hockey Mom allows a Novice Rep Hockey Team to express their feelings about their moms and dads and tell them what they think for a change. Asked why he loves his hockey mom, one boy answers without hesitating: “Because she always skips out on work for it.” The illustrations, designed with crayons and markers, are simply charming and help create ideal gifts for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day for years to come.

From the author of Owl Moon and How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight comes an original series of board books! Meet the hippos—a lovable, zany crew ready to take the youngest reader on a rollicking ride through the world of numbers, colours and feelings. In Hip Hippos, readers are introduced to a rainbow of colours through the pachyderms’ sometimes bizarre and always-hilarious wardrobe choices. From bright red tank tops and purple flip-flops to yellow sweat suits and golden hip boots, these hippos are a stylish bunch! Featuring Jane Yolen’s delightful rhyming text and Vlasta van Kampen’s spectacular illustrations, each edition has been designed to appeal to the imagination of infants and toddlers. And with sturdy, board-book construction (complete with rounded edges), these classics will stand the test of time—and teething!

Originally published as part of the Jelly Belly collection in 1983, The Kitty Ran Up the Tree is one of a series of Alligator Tales, Dennis Lee's witty "action poems" in board book format, engagingly illustrated by Nora Hilb. This one opens with a dog chasing two kitties up a tree — a small cat and a child in feline costume. “The kitty ran up the tree, / The kitty ran up the tree, / Her nose went up, and her toes went up, / The kitty ran up the tree.” The youngest readers are sure to enjoy these creatures' antics as they act out the movements and chant the lines.

More than 20 years after its original publication, Dennis Lee’s classic The Dreadful Doings of Jelly Belly continues to enchant readers of all ages with its irresistible mix of modern humor and traditional Mother Goose charm. His rollicking, raucous poetry is laugh-out-loud funny, yet simple enough for even the youngest reader to follow. Nora Hilb’s vibrant illustrations are the perfect match for Lee’s whimsical, sometimes deliciously gross text. Available for the first time in a sturdy board book format, the poem stands ready to capture a new generation of young — and young-at-heart — readers.

In Leslie McFarlane`s Hockey Stories, Vol. 2 celebrated Canadian author Leslie McFarlane once again takes readers on a nostalgic trip back to the glory days of our national sport. Although McFarlane`s main claim to fame is as a ghostwriter for the The Hardy Boys mystery series (Franklin W. Dixon didn`t exist), his work on that series never earned him enough to pay the bills. In order to supplement his depression-era income, the enterprising journalist dashed off stories about hockey and other sports and sold them to various magazines. Leslie McFarlane`s Hockey Stories, Vol. 2 includes four such stories, none of which have ever appeared in book form. Set primarily in the 1930s--in small, Canadian, hockey-crazy towns--these tales offer a Rockwellian glimpse at the rough and tumble world of minor-league hockey, and at the adventures that ensue when someone does manage to make it big. McFarlane writes with a perfect blend of sport and humour. Featuring fast-paced plots, compelling characters (good and evil!) and a healthy dose of hockey action, Leslie McFarlane`s Hockey Stories, Vol. 2 is bound to captivate hockey fans young and old. To young detectives worldwide, Leslie McFarlane was known under the pseudonyms Carolyn Keene, Roy Rockwood and, most famously, Franklin W. Dixon--author of The Hardy Boys series. McFarlane, who passed away in 1977, was one of the most successful Canadian writers of all time. ??a hilarious, nail-biting tail that hockey fans will find fascinating. McFarlane?s prose style is wonderful and smacks of a different era. ?they?re a punchy style totally unlike anything you?d read today. For middle-school readers and avid fans who want to see hockey from a different time and place, Hockey Stories is like a break-away ? it?s quick, exciting and over all too quickly.? ?Hamilton Spectator