Bobby Orr children's book penned by Windsor's Kara Kootstra

A Windsor woman has authored a new children's book starring Bobby Orr.

The Hockey Hall of Famer is the central character in Kara Kootstra's book, The Boy in Number Four.

The story, told in rhymes, is about a little boy who wants to be a hockey player.

There is some literary license taken, but it's mostly true to the Bobby Orr story.

"We kind of see this progression of Bobby into the superstar we know today," Kootstra told Windsor Morning host Tony Doucette.

The book came to be when Kootstra's father, Vern Stenlund, was working on Bobby Orr's autobiography. Stenlund was Orr's ghostwriter and mentioned the idea of a children's book to Orr.

"It was a bit of a tough sell. It doesn’t lend his name to things lightly," Kootstra said.

He liked the idea and the children's book came to be.

"He just wanted to make sure whatever was printed was something he believed in and was passionate about," Kootstra said.

Orr had "a wee bit" of input, Kootstra said. Most of his input was background and information. But the hockey icon did write the afterword for the book, expressing his thoughts on how children should approach sports and hockey.

Windsor artist Regan Thomson illustrated the book.

Kootstra called the illustrations "beautiful" and true to the era in which Orr grew up.

"Parents and grandparents are going to get a kick out of this as well," Kootstra said.