Steel Drums and Ice Skates

Krystyna Higgins is the former book review editor for the Toronto-based
Catholic New Times.

Hollie, 7, lives in Trinidad with her Tanty Millie. Her parents, who
immigrated to Canada two years ago, have at last sent for her to join
them in Toronto. Though wildly excited at first, Hollie experiences some
difficulties in adjusting to her new home. She must get used to the snow
and the cold, to traveling on the subway, and most of all to staying
with a babysitter in her apartment building while her parents both go
out to work. Once Hollie learns to ice-skate, however, and when
Christmas brings traditions both new and familiar, she begins to accept
and to enjoy her new life.

This book’s great strength, as suggested by the title, lies in its
lively depiction of the differences between Trinidad and Canada. Whether
Hollie is eating a typical Trinidadian breakfast or learning to skate at
Toronto’s city hall, McLean’s telling use of detail brings the scene
vividly to life.

The exuberant illustrations seem to leap off the page. An especially
effective touch is the contrast between the electric brightness of the
Trinidad scenes and the darker-toned greys, mauves, and browns of
Toronto in winter. As Hollie begins to feel more at home, however, the
colors become brighter once again, reflecting not just a physical but an
emotional landscape.

As an effective and convincing portrayal of a young newcomer’s
adjustment to life in Canada, this book should appeal both to children
who have experienced a similar dislocation and to those who can only
imagine it. Recommended.