It brought me in touch with an incredible number of people and none of those people ever said anything I didn't enjoy hearing. 'Almost every day there's happy news coming to me because of that little book. 'It was a gift from life that is just amazing. 'I could not imagine anything that happened,' Carrier said this week. In short, it has become one of the country's best-known and enduring hockey stories. It has gone from a story read on radio to part of a short story collection to an illustrated children's book to a 10-minute National Film Board production. It has been taken into outer space by Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk and appeared on the back of the Canadian five dollar bill. The simple story of a small town Quebec boy who is sent a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey instead of that of his beloved Montreal Canadiens by a faraway department store has sold more than 300,000 copies. I especially loved the look of humiliation and disgust on the boy’s face when his mom is showing him the Maple Leafs sweater.MONTREAL - When Roch Carrier wrote 'The Hockey Sweater' in a mad rush in 1979 he had no idea it would become one of Canada's iconic stories about childhood and its national sport.

The reader witnesses the entire gamut of childhood emotions from anticipation, exhilaration, to anger, and tentative acceptance. I thought that this book captured the essence of childhood both with the text and the illustrations. The book was illustrated by Sheldon Cohen, and was later turned into an animated movie.

The book is so treasured in Canada that one of the phrases in the story is written on their currency. I think that everyone should read this book regardless of age, however, I think that it was intended for younger readers aged 5-9. Childhood innocence: The boy looks to god in a creative way to help him in his time of need. Sports idolatry: The entire town looks up to Maurice Richard.Į. feelings of persecution: The boy feels like he is being treated unfairly due to his new sweater.ĭ. agony of disappointment: The boy’s face is priceless when he sees what type of sweater he got.Ĭ. boyhood obsessions: The young boy is obsessed with his hockey sweater and hockey in general.ī. Can the young boy survive without his Canadiens sweater?Ī. Monsieur Eaton sends the boy a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey instead.

One day the sweater has grown too small for him, so his mother writes Monsieur Eaton a letter with her son’s measurements asking for another sweater. He even owns a sweater jersey that he wears everywhere. Platsburgh, New York: Tundra Books.Ī young boy loves the Montreal Canadiens, more specifically Maurice Richard.

The sweater roch carrier