Review: Sam the Zamboni Man

Even though spring has arrived across much of the U.S., it’s still hockey season to sport lovers like me.  We still have a few games left in our ticket package, plus a solid month of the NHL, plus playoffs.  Since my Lil Guy at age three has become a hockey fanatic, we always are on the look-out for fun hockey read alouds.  I didn’t even open the book Sam the Zamboni Man before I put it in our bag to take home from the library.  The book looked old fashioned with 80’s style lettering and a scribbly teal and red front cover.  I thought at the very least I would find a connection for my Lil Guy to the Zamboni which cleans the ice during intermissions at our local hockey games.  What I found instead was a touching story, albeit a bit dated, about a grandfather introducing his young grandson to the sport of hockey.

Sam the Zamboni Man introduces us to Matt and Sam, a grandson and grandfather who connect while watching a game of hockey, you see; Grandpa Sam drives the Zamboni.  The story is sweet and simple, but describes well the overwhelming feeling and excitement of watching a live sporting event like hockey.  My favorite part is when Grandpa takes Matt to the empty arena, leaving Matt feeling disappointed, until of course Matt hears his grandfather over the loud speaker and sees the lights brighten the ice, leaving an icy playground for the Zamboni driving pair.  I even got just a little choked up when Grandpa Sam tells Matt that next year they will spend their time on the ice, learning the game of hockey.

While this book wasn’t what I expected, I did enjoy it.  Lil Guy will still enjoy it, but it would be best for hockey loving families, or reading aloud grandfathers.  I was pleased to see a book over 25 years old still in my library, as some of these shelf-filling book often get lost to book sales to make room for new favorites.  Before hockey season comes to a close, does anyone have a recommendation for a new hockey picture book?  I am looking forward to searching my library for new sports reads soon.