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Splinters

by Kevin Sylvester

Author and illustrator (as well as CBC broadcaster) Kevin Sylvester makes his picture book debut with Splinters, a modern-day Cinderella story about a young girl who just wants to play hockey.

Cindy Winters loves the game, but her family’s poverty keeps her dream of playing out of reach. Even when she finally makes it to a house team, Coach Blister and the wicked Blister sisters make sure Cindy remains on the bench, responsible only for cleaning the team’s uniforms and taping the players’ sticks. (“Try not to get any splinters,” they tell her.) Just in time, a plump, bespectacled Fairy Goaltender comes to the rescue to help Cindy make her dreams come true.

To say that the story doesn’t stray far from the Cinderella model is an understatement, though there are some hockey-specific tweaks. Here, Prince Charming is replaced by Charmaine Prince, a coach looking for the next great player for her all-star team. Cindy’s carriage is a Zamboni. The stroke of midnight? The last buzzer. And that iconic glass slipper is a golden skate that Cindy leaves behind.

The story has certain admirable details. For example, to practice, Cindy skates on the floor of her family’s basement apartment when it floods in winter. But it’s Sylvester’s illustrations that really sing. Charming, vibrant, and full of emotion, they do a far better job of telling the tale than the stiff, unsophisticated prose.

Overall, this retelling of Cinderella sticks a little too close to the original tale to be considered particularly engaging or remarkable. But it’s nice to see a hockey book featuring a female protagonist. And little-girl hockey players across the country will certainly cheer when Cindy is recognized for her true talent.

 

Reviewer: Megan McChesney

Publisher: Tundra Books

DETAILS

Price: $19.99

Page Count: 40 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 978-0-88776-944-3

Released: Sept.

Issue Date: 2010-9

Categories: Picture Books

Age Range: 6-8