New York Islanders: A to Z is a colorful must have history book for Isles fans
Whether you're a kid or a kid at heart, New York Islanders: A to Z is a must-have book for Islanders fans. Written by Joe Buono and illustrated by Joe Maracic, the children's book is a way to connect Islanders fans from one generation to the next, telling the history of the franchise in a fun, bright and colorful way that brings memories to life.
Published through Book Baby, New York Islanders: A to Z can be purchased HERE with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Islanders Children's Foundation.
The book features contributions from TV play-by-play voice Brendan Burke (pre-game), hockey historian Stan Fischler (1st intermission), radio play-by-play voice Chris King (2nd Intermission) and Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Jiggs McDonald (Post-game). Each page dedicates a letter to a player, personality, or event in New York Islanders history. A is for Arbour, B is for Bossy, and so on.
There are also moments such as E is for Easter Epic for the marathon Game 7 victory against the Washington Capitals in 1987 and I is for Isles Nation as a way to pay homage to the personalities around the team and the avid fanbase.
"The reality is that for most of the parents that are going to these games and bringing their kids, there's a good chance they are like me and did not see those [dynasty] teams play," Buono told NewYorkIslanders.com last month. "It becomes more and more important to create ways to introduce that next generation of fans not only to the team you love, but to the players and the moments and the games and the events that transpired."
While it's a children's book, there is something for fans of all ages.
“For me, there’s three different uses of the book. If you’re a lifetime fan, this is a fantastic way to capture and remember the really colorful history of the franchise,” said Buono in an interview with Society for International Hockey Research (SIHC).
“If you’re 4, 5 and 6, your parents can introduce you to the Islanders and start to understand the names and the faces of the star players in the moments that surround that team. But if you’re 9, 10, 11—so when I say kids book, I really think we’re talking about that kid, the 8, 9, 10, 11 year old who is on the cusp of becoming a die-hard hockey fan. And they will read this book once and they’ll read it again and again until they know the history of the Islanders as good as they possibly can.”
For those attending any of the remaining home games at UBS Arena, they can now find the book at Isles Lab, the team store located on the main concourse.