Review: Dogsred, Vol. 1

Title: Dogsred, Vol. 1
Author: Satoru Noda
Genre: Manga, Young Adult
Publisher: Viz Media
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 18, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Ice hockey action from the creator of Golden Kamuy!

Rou once chased figure-skating glory. Now he chases redemption in the ice hockey rink.

After winning the national championship, 15-year-old figure skater Rou Shirakawa was on his way to the Olympics. But with his mother’s tragic death on his mind, he threw it all away in an outburst of rage. Banned from figure skating, he and his sister move to Hokkaido. When he meets some local kids at the skating pond, they convince him to be a stand-in player for their soon-to-be-disbanded hockey team. The team has never won a game, and they’re up against the local champs—but if they’ve got to go down, they want to score at least one goal before it’s all over. Rou hasn’t got a clue how to play ice hockey, but he sure knows how to skate!

Review:

In this manga, a promising young figure skater, Rou, gives up his future of skating at the Olympics after his mother passes away. Even though he doesn’t want to figure skate anymore because it reminds him of his mother, he still skates on his own and some kids talk him into playing hockey with them. I liked that Rou didn’t completely give up his passion of skating. He found a different way to skate in a new sport. There were some hints of what’s to come at the end of the story, of Rou possibly joining a hockey team.

Dogsred, Vol. 1 is a great start to this manga series!

Thank you Viz Media and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book for a paid campaign!

Content warnings: death of parent (off page)

Have you read Dogsred, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

Review: Twas the Night Before Puck Drop

Title: Twas the Night Before Puck Drop
Author: Harry Caminelli, Dhamma Cakka (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Taffy Tales
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 1, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A new classic in the making, ‘Twas the Night Before Puck Drop combines two subjects North American kids love: hockey and Christmas. Magical winter fun ensues as Santa drops in for a big game of pond hockey just before Christmas. Find out that Santa can not only deliver presents in a single day, he can also skate like the wind and has a big slapshot! Enjoy this beautiful hardcover edition with emboss and spot UV treatments!

Review:

On Christmas Eve, the narrator looks out the window and finds an ice rink in the backyard. On the rink is Santa with four iconic Canadian hockey players: Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Sidney Crosby, and Wayne Gretzky. Santa plays a game with them before flying off on his sleigh. 

This was such a fun adaptation of Twas the Night Before Christmas. The rhymes were cleverly written to fit the hockey theme while also following the rhythm of the original story. This book would be the perfect gift for any hockey fans!

Twas the Night Before Puck Drop is a fun hockey Christmas story!

Thank you Taffy Tales for sending me a copy of this book!

Have you read Twas the Night Before Puck Drop? What did you think of it?