By Julie Flett
Greystone Kids, 2024
36 pages
978-1-77164-610-9
Ages 4-9
“Cacussh! Cacussh! Cacussh!!” A young Cree boy watches from his window as a skateboarder goes by. “haw êkwa! Let’s go!” His mom brings home 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, creativity community; and the meaning of “haw êkwa!” (okay then!) and other Cree words related to the sport. ©2024 Cooperative Children’s Book Center