Soooo much history/trivia could have been touched upon, but instead I is for Ice. Won't be looking to this series for the hockey junkies in my life. ( )

Great book for kids, especially leafs fans! The rhymes are cute and catchy, and the bits of facts and trivia are great for the know-it-all-boy crowd. The illustrations are the best part - such a neat style, realistic but fun and interesting! Would like to see more of this illustrator's works. My Boys Loved it!

Thanks for the review copy, LibraryThing Early Reviewers! ( )

much enjoyed, I have been a Leafs fan all my life ( many years) and reminisced and remembered many names and face. It brought a smile to face and I enjoyed sharing with kids and grandkids

The Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club is one of the National Hockey Leagues “Original Six” franchises and one of the most storied teams in hockey history. Only one team has won the revered Stanley Cup more than Toronto’s 13 triumphs in spite of the fact that they haven’t attained that honour since 1967.

Author Mike Ulmer and artist Melanie Rose have joined forces to produce a strikingly illustrated children’s book introducing the rich history of the Maple Leafs to a new generation of young readers.

Ulmer’s rhyming text covers a variety of topics, places, people and terminology relating to the Maple Leafs and hockey in general. While there are a few biographical glimpses of the Maple Leafs greats, there is also a great deal of the rather banal and generic. For instance D is for dressing room; E is for equipment; F is for faceoff; G is for goalie [without highlighting the Leafs’ greatest examples]; H is for Hockey Hall of Fame [without mentioning which Leafs are in it]; I is for ice; Q is for quest for the Stanley Cup [without mentioning how many times it was won by Leafs], etc..

In this book M is for Maple Leaf. Unfortunately it might also stand for a missed opportunity to profile the many remarkable individuals and events connected with the iconic Maple Leaf Hockey Club. Pity! ( )

Although this alphabet book definitely leans towards the Toronto Maple Leafs, 'M Is for Maple Leafs: An Official Toronto Maple Leafs Alphabet Book' is more an alphabet book about hockey in general. Each letter is accompanied by a couple of rhyming lines describing the chosen 'word'. Additionally, the author, Michael Ulmer, has added a few more lines giving more information and/or history about the chosen 'word' for that letter. The extra information adds to the enjoyment of the book and helps to keep the book relevant to adults and children alike. Melanie Rose did a fantastic job as illustrator; the pictures are bright, active and engaging. When I read the book I was expecting it to be entirely about the Maple Leafs, but was pleasantly surprised when Ulmer highlighted the Leafs (eg. A is for the Air Canada Centre) but focused on hockey in general (eg. O is for off side). As designed the book is a nice introduction to hockey for a brand new fan and is the perfect gift to give a hockey-enthusiastic family who recently had a new arrival. An extra bonus is the second alphabet list at the end of the book, just in case reader's didn't get enough on the first round! ( )