Over the last few years, Pro Hockey News has been privileged to work with a variety of book authors and this year is no different.
We have always focused our author features around the holiday gift-giving season and we are pleased to offer another terrific piece of work, this time from author Paul 
Harbridge and illustrator Matt James.
The book, When the Moon Comes, is a gorgeous effort from its words to the lush and sometimes haunting illustrations.
When the Moon Comes is a story of ice skating and playing hockey by the light of a full moon on the perfect sheet of ice.
It happens the ice is in the woods and is a beaver flood area and the absence of wind and precipitation has yielded a pristinely smooth surface.
Harbridge paints the anxiety of children in the book with his words as they champ at the bit to lace up the skates and get to playing.
The reader can feel the temptation as it builds only to tempered by Arthur, the ice expert; it is Arthur’s admonition for the children to wait that resolves in the perfect ice soon to be covered in a layer of light snow.
Matt James’ paintings grace Harbridge’s words and bring the story and scenes to life.
The illustrations embellish the narrative from depiction of the mild November to the first snow on the beaver flood and mysterious shadows in the dark behind the roaring camp fire.
There is a sense of longing for the reader to return to the perfect ice or experience it for the first time for the novice hockey player and skater.
Since receiving the book this week, I have had an opportunity to read it several times and take in every page of text and illustration and have felt pulled into the story and the scenes. It is a mesmerizing work from Harbridge and James and one that would be welcome by readers and hockey people young and old.
When the Moon Comes is a follow-up to Harbridge’s picture book, Helena’s Voyage.
Harbridge is a speech pathologist for adults with developmental disabilities in Toronto.
James is a painter, illustrator and musician and among his many awards is a New Mexico Book Award.
When the Moon Comes should be under any tree this season and in the hands of anyone who wants to dream of those special nights on perfect ice.
When the Moon Comes is available on most book seller web sites and is on Amazon.com via this LINK.
Follow Paul Harbridge on Twitter @PaulHarbridge
Follow Matt James on Facebook via Matt James Illustration
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