The Magnificent Mario
by Mike Leonetti
illustrated by Gary Chatterton
A young hockey player learns the value of playing one's best — no matter what the circumstances — from real-life hockey hero Mario Lemieux!
Tyler is already a big Mario Lemieux fan, but he still loves looking at his dad's memento — Mario's rookie card — and hearing about how Mario started out with the worst team in the NHL. Tyler is also on the worst team in his league, and losing so often gets very frustrating.
He is inspired by his hero's work on the ice, especially as he watches Mario through the 1990-91 season, giving a magnificent performance during the playoffs, and, of course, scoring an unbelievable goal against the Minnesota North Stars in the finals.
As Mario and the Pittsburgh Penguins become the Stanley Cup winners, Tyler learns that things can change, and a team can become stronger if you give your best — the way Mario did for his team.
close this panelMike Leonetti has written numerous books for both children and adults about the good ol' hockey game. His current picture book series with Scholastic is about hockey heroes and includes titles such as Wendel and The Great One, The Rocket, and The Mighty Tim Horton. A lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan, Mike lives in Woodbridge, Ontario, with his wife and son.
Gary Chatterton's incredibly life-like illustrations have appeared in advertising campaigns for major corporations such as Molson Canada, Labatt, Bell, and the Biodome de Montreal. Gary lives in Beloeil, Quebec.
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