Let's Go! - by Julie Flett (Hardcover)

About the Book

"An extraordinary book that celebrates skateboarding, family, and community. 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, just for him! haw ãekwa! Let's go! 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?"--

Book Synopsis

A 2025 Notable Social Studies Trade Book!
A 2025 Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended Title!
A Kirkus Reviews and Horn Book Magazine Best Book of 2024!
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of 2024!

"Gives the viewer the sense that not only is the world big, but its bigness impels us to keep going."--Juanita Giles, The New York Times

"Beautifully highlights the value of perseverance along with the joy of skateboarding."--Horn Book STARRED Review

"Perfectly sums up the feeling of embarking on something new and also the determination to try again after a setback."--School Library Journal STARRED Review

"[R]eminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats ... a beautiful job of capturing the grace and speed of skateboarding."--Youth Services Book Review STARRED Review

Let's Go! is an extraordinary book that celebrates skateboarding, family, and community, from beloved artist and author Julie Flett, a winner of the New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book Award.

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, just for him! haw êkwa! Let's go! 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?

Let's Go! features:

• A glossary of Cree words featured in the book, and a Cree refrain (haw êkwa!) repeated throughout
• A note to the reader from Julie Flett about her inspiration for the story

This fun and touching story is a tribute to family, friendship, and perseverance. Julie Flett's renowned art and powerful text shows a community of support is all around, ready to help each other... go!

Review Quotes

"Gives the viewer a sense that not only is the world big, but its bigness impels us to keep going."
--Juanita Giles, The New York Times

"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."
--Cooperative Children's Book Center

"A delightful first purchase. Highly recommended."
--School Library Journal, STARRED Review

"Joyously celebrates the sport and community....dynamic and energetic."
--Julie Danielson, Shelf Awareness for Readers

"With spare, poetic text and evocative images, Flett brings readers of all ages into the world of a child gathering the courage to skateboard [and includes] with some Cree words that describe skateboarding and its intuitive flow state--a state this picture book manages to capture on every page."
--Literary Hub

"Flett's simple and elegant pastels, oriented horizontally (reminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats), do a beautiful job of capturing the grace and speed of skateboarding....This intriguing look at contemporary Native life emphasizes the passing down of tradition, whether it's the Cree language or the culture of the skate park. Highly recommended for all children's collections."
--Youth Services Book Review, STARRED Review

"Beautifully highlights the value of perseverance along with the joy of skateboarding."
--Horn Book, STARRED Review

"Extraordinary.... A fun read from start to finish, "Let's Go!" is especially and unreservedly recommended as a choice pick for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library Self-Esteem and Family Life picture book collections for ages 3-8."
--Midwest Book Review

"Masterful, simple, powerful....a must-read for anyone who skateboards or wants to -- or doesn't."
--Amina Chaudri, Booklist

"Using onomatopoeic language to capture the sounds of the sport, Cree-Métis creator Flett (We All Play) shows the hard work and investment of time that goes into both learning a new skill and becoming 'a part of something--/ and myself.'"
--Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

About the Author

Julie Flett is a Cree-Métis author, illustrator, and artist who has received numerous awards for her books, including the New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book Award, two Governor General's Awards, the American Indian Youth Literature Award, and the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. Her books have been selected for Best of the Year lists by dozens of media outlets, including The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, School Library Journal, The Globe and Mail, and Kirkus Reviews. Her critically acclaimed picture books Birdsong, We All Play, and Still This Love Goes On (with Buffy Sainte-Marie) are also published by Greystone Kids. Flett lives in Victoria, Canada.