The Bottom Line
The story of Canada's good luck charm - the "loonie" (Canadian one-dollar coin) buried at centre ice during the 2002 Olympic hockey tournament - is skillfully told by Roy MacGregor.
Pros
- What Canadian hockey fan could resist this tale?
Cons
- The greater story is still waiting to be told.
Description
- A charming and modest "true fable," refreshingly free of the hyperbolic blather of sportswriting.
- Straightforward, well-crafted writing will appeal to adults and young readers.
- A truly Canadian story that is of little interest to most other readers.
- Written by Roy MacGregor, with a foreword by Wayne Gretzky and illustrations by Bill Slavin.
Guide Review - "A Loonie for Luck" by Roy MacGregor
Billed as “A True Fable About Hockey and the Olympics,” this book is a gem, a little piece of myth making to fire the imaginations of Canadian hockey fans. The story is told mostly through the eyes of Trent Evans, the ice technician who hid the Canadian loonie at centre ice in Salt Lake City (the coin now resides at the Hockey Hall of Fame). The focus is on Evans and his talisman, with only a perfunctory account of the games themselves. But the tale of the loonie neatly encapsulates the anticipation, tension and exaltation of Canada’s Olympic hockey experience. Enhanced by color illustrations, it is an ideal book for young readers, though anyone who cheered for Canada will revel in the story.
