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Let's Go! / haw ekwa!

by Julie Flett

CCBC Review:

“Cacussh! Cacussh! Cacussh!!” A young Cree boy watches from his window as a skateboarder goes by. “haw êkwa! Let’s go!” His mom gives him her old skateboard and he begins to learn to ride. “Push, push. … Ow!” He falls and gets back up again. “Swoosh. … Oh!” At the park, where the path runs like a river, he sees “a waterfall of skateboarders crashing down.” He sits by himself in a quiet place to watch, soon joined by other younger riders. “We sit together. Watching the patterns and pace. And feet and hands and faces.” Eventually he becomes one of the experienced skaters. Sometimes he’s part of a river of friends flowing down the street on their boards. And sometimes there’s a new rider, watching quietly. They sit with her until she’s ready. “haw êkwa! Let’s go!” A beautifully spirited story full of the sounds and flow of skateboarding is paired with warm-hued, wonderfully composed mixed-media illustrations capturing eagerness, tenderness, energy, and joy. A note from the author/illustrator discusses her family connection to skateboarding through her son; its welcoming, creative, community; and the meaning of “haw êkwa!” (okay then!) and other Cree words related to the sport. Highly Commended, 2025 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Julie Flett

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-9
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Community Cree Language Cree People Perseverance Sports
Diversity subject: Indigenous

Publisher: Greystone
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 36
ISBN: 9781771646109
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Flett

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