  | Let's go! : haw ekwa! Author: Flett, Julie | |
| Price: $24.46 | ||
Summary:
Every day, a little boy watches kids pass by on skateboards, and dreams of joining them. One day, his mother brings a surprise: her old skateboard. Together, they practice on the sidewalk, at the park, in Auntie's yard--everywhere. But when it comes time to try the skatepark, the skateboarders crash down like a waterfall. Can he find the confidence to join them?
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (04/15/24)
School Library Journal (+) (00/05/24)
Booklist (04/01/24)
The Hornbook (+) (00/05/24)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 05/01/2024 PreS-Gr 2—A child observes skateboarders passing his window, noting the distinct sound of wheels rolling over a sidewalk, "Cacussh! Cacussh! Cacussh!" When his mother presents him with her old skateboard, he is off! The refrain "haw êkwa!" which, Flett explains in an endnote, is a Cree idiom that translates to "okay and" or "okay now" perfectly sums up the feeling of embarking on something new and also the determination to try again after a setback. Flett's endnote also identifies the pleasure of being in a "flow state" that comes about after much practice. The text conveys this by comparing the skaters' movements to a gentle stream, a flowing river, and even "a waterfall of skateboarders crashing down." The fluid movement is carried along in the soft illustrations of winding paths, curtains blowing in the breeze, the gentle curve of an arm, the swoop of a half-pipe. VERDICT A delightful first purchase. Highly recommended.—Jennifer Costa - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 04/01/2024 In this masterful application of less is more, Flett uses on each page fewer than a dozen words, which, combined with the illustrations, convey a simple, powerful story of yearning, patience, bravery, inclusion, self-expression, and other human ways of being. It starts with a child looking out of their window while other kids zoom by on skateboards. The child imagines being able to skate, and when they get the chance, they practice and fall and try again, until they feel ready to join the others at the park. There, they are halted by a moment of insecurity, until other newcomers arrive and they decide to give it a go together. Flett's stylized figures and skilled line-work create a flowing motion, a concept which is beautifully described in a back-matter letter to the reader. Let’s Go! haw êkwa! is a must-read for anyone who skateboards or wants to—or doesn't. Literacy teachers will enjoy parsing the nuanced analogies, assigning this as a mentor text for writing, or simply enjoying it as a read aloud. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
