'He was always about sunshine': New picture book tells the life story of Joey Moss

Marek Tkach and Lorna Schultz Nicholson read Good Morning, Sunshine! The Joey Moss Story.

A new picture book for children by a local author tells the life story of beloved Edmontonian Joey Moss.

Good Morning, Sunshine! The Joey Moss Story is now available at bookstores.

“It is the story of Joey, and it’s not just the story of Joey involved in the Oilers, it’s the story of Joey’s life,” author Lorna Schultz Nicholson told CTV News Edmonton.

Schultz Nicholson, the wife of Oilers chairman Bob Nicholson, spoke with Moss’s family as well as former and current members of the Oilers to get a full picture of his life.

As a child, Moss performed with his siblings in the family band.

“I think that was very helpful in the cycle of giving Joey that love of entertaining and that love of being able to talk to people and be comfortable around others,” Schultz Nicholson said.

And he loved to make people smile.

“It came up in so many articles and with listening to the players talk, one thing he would always say is, ‘Good morning, sunshine.’ I think that’s a big essence of the story. He was always about sunshine, making people feel better and making people smile.”

She also wanted to send a message to children with Down syndrome.

“The goal was to show people that those who are born with Down syndrome can be active in their communities, can be positive human beings, and can do something,” she said. “Joey worked for the Oilers for 30 something years, and he did a really, really good job. And he took pride in what he did, and I think it’s really important that we recognize that.”

And she hopes through the book, Moss’s legacy will live on through the next generation.

“A hard covered book can sit on a shelf at a library or a school and kids can read it 10 years from now, and they can understand about who Joey was, and they can see the value of what he gave.”

The book is being released this week, the same week Moss would have turned 59.

Moss died Oct. 26, 2020 at the age of 57.

The book can be purchased at major bookstores. A teaching guide is also available on the publisher’s website. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach.