‘True happiness, joy, and love’
Feebee’s Magical Figure Skaters’ Tea
by Cathalynn Cindy Labonté-Smith (illustrated by Serena J. Trinder)
Gibsons: independently published, 2026
$15.00 / 9798257852671
Reviewed by Brett Josef Grubisic
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With some trepidation the new girl steps on the ice. She spots a watchful clique of other girls—better dressed and seemingly wealthier—at the opposite end of the rink. Then the plot thickens… Will it be Mean Girls with a Zamboni? Bend It Like Beckham or Carrie on skates? I, Tonya, only with pre-teens?
None of the above, actually.
The first clue about the overall geniality of Feebee’s Magical Figure Skaters’ Tea comes with the book’s epigraph, from a coach named Linda Carol. This skating professional associates the sport with freedom, creativity, individual expression, and opportunity. “Skating is true happiness, joy and love,” the excerpt that quotes Carol concludes.
The book’s first chapter introduces Feebee (named after Phoebe, her grandmother) as the new girl. Indeed, she’s new to Vancouver and to city ways; and wearing a “shabby black skating outfit,” she’s highly conscious of the “cluster of girls in glittery, pastel, twirling skirts.” The pre-teen audience of the illustrated chapter book may view Feebee as a latter day Cinderella, possibly, or Ugly Duckling, and anticipate impending obstacles and heroic efforts before she’s given her due.
For Sunshine Coast author Cathalynn Cindy Labonté-Smith (Rescue Me: Behind the Scenes of Search and Rescue), fairy tale tests and Hollywood screenplay dynamics built on female competition aren’t all that useful. In fact, in Feebee’s Magical Figure Skaters’ Tea, life—in the form of the death of Feebee’s dad in a plane crash before the story begins and, later, the midair collision deaths of young figure skaters and their coaches in 2025 (to whom the book is dedicated)—suffices.
Feebee—checking price tags, worried about fitting in, foreseeing a twelfth birthday party void of attendees—has real concerns, yes, but her coach (Sasha) and new friends (Del, Dora, Elizabeth, Rosa, and even Drew) are never anything but team players.
In the story, an ‘Appreciation Tea’—a kind of spectacular skating showcase that serves to thank parents and other supporters for their efforts—is the event towards which the plot builds, with costuming, rehearsals, and teamwork being the causes for (mild) concern. Throughout, Serena J. Trinder’s watercolour illustrations are standouts with their jewel-toned expressiveness.
Upon the death of young figure skaters in the news, Feebee decides to revamp the Fairview Figure Skating Club tea’s theme in order to acknowledge the tragic loss and to proclaim the spirited closeness within the figure skating community.
Labonté-Smith has no time for intense rivalries, unhinged momagers, or underhanded schemes for getting ahead. Gold isn’t the goal, enjoyment is. As Feebee says, “I think my dream is just to be the best skater I can be and see how far I can go.” (The author also intersperses the fiction with a handful of “Fabulous Canadian Figure Skating Facts”; as they touch on assorted Canadian success stories, from Barbara Ann Scott to Tessa Virtue, the facts manage to keep rabid patriotism to a minimum.)
Feel-good but not saccharine, and inspirational without any heavy-handed sermonizing, Feebee’s Magical Figure Skaters’ Tea celebrates sport, teamwork, girlhood, and creative effort. It’s sweet and thoughtful and optimistic but not naive. And that’s a tale that can benefit any child.
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Brett Josef Grubisic can skate backwards, but not well. He assigns, edits, and posts fiction, poetry, and children’s lit reviews for BCR; occasionally, he contributes reviews as well. [He’s written about recent books by Susannah M. Smith, Théodora Armstrong, Faith Erin Hicks, Hetxw’ms Gyetxw, Nathan Fairbairn, Otoniya Bitek, Martin Butler, Hannah Beach and Maggie Hutchings, Zsuzsi Gartner (ed.), Jennifer Cooper, Caroline Adderson, Sunny Dhillon, Wanda John-Kehewin, Ryan O’Dowd, Michael V. Smith, David Bouchard, Alice Turski, Louise Sidley, K.J. Denny (ed.), Sonali Zohra, Carrie Anne Vanderhoop, Kristen Pendreigh, Sam Wiebe, Maureen Young, Daniel Anctil, and Adam Welch for BCR.]
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The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors: Trevor Marc Hughes (nonfiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction and poetry)
Publisher: Richard Mackie
Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an online book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.
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