'He was always about sunshine': New picture book tells the life story of Joey Moss
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.