Key Selling Points

• When a skatepark is built in the tiny village of Janwaar, in northern India, Ramkesh and the local children begin to discover the joys of a new sport, regardless of caste or gender, which not only introduces their village to the world but also gives them a newfound sense of unity and hope.
• Based on a true story, this book highlights the concept of sport as an instrument of joy and shows its ability to unite people; it also showcases children's instincts to treat each other as equals, despite the imposed divisions of the adult world, and the concept of the younger generation leading the way to a brighter future.
• Rina Singh has a very personal connection to Janwaar, as she's visited there and met many of the skateboarding children and their parents (including Ramkesh), as well as the founder of the project, Ulrike Reinhard. Rina tutored some of the children online for a while, and she still keeps in touch with them to this day.
• Sophie Casson is an accomplished illustrator who brings her own unusual and eye-catching style to this book.
• A short film called Janwaar, by Danny Schmidt, was made about the Janwaar skatepark (officially called Janwaar Castle), and the Netflix film Skater Girl is a fictionalized version of the life of Asha, one of the skateboarders featured in the book.

The remote village of Janwaar in Northern India has been the same for a long time, with the community strictly divided into castes. It's a quiet village… until the construction project begins.

Ramkesh can't tell what it will be—it's all ramps and hills. When it's done, he sees kids playing on it, on strange boards with wheels... Soon, he's invited to try, and he's hooked—practicing tricks and soaring on his skateboard. At first, it's all boys, but Ramkesh invites his sister, and other girls join too. Word gets out that the tiny village is a hotbed of skateboarding talent, and people flock from all over to see it, and to teach the kids new tricks. Ramkesh and his friends even get invited to travel, gaining the first-ever passports for their village. But most important, they come back home to tell of their journeys...and to lead the way for Janwaar into the future, with a newfound sense of joy and unity.

Available in French as Les planchistes aux pieds nus.

Praise for Rina Singh

?“A very wise book, speaking volumes…Share this at story hours, or hand it to the child struggling to read; this communicates essential truths without a word. Marvelous.”—School Library Journal, starred review for Once, a Bird

?“This sweet, understated story is wordless—a perfect way to tell it, as it requires youngsters to relate to the illustrations in a unique, profoundly personal way…Refreshing, beautiful, moving, and meaningful.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review for Once, a Bird

?“With cinematic fluidity, Dion’s marvellous watercolor, gouache, and digital illustrations evocatively convey Singh’s thoughtful wordless narrative…This multilayered wordless picture book has much to say about nature, renewal, and resiliency.”—Booklist, starred review for Once, a Bird

? "[A] tender tribute to the Hindu holiday of Holi…A joyful hybrid of concept book, holiday title, and portrait of familial love."

–Publishers Weekly, starred review for Holi Colors

? "Singh celebrates Holi, the Hindu festival of colors and love, and highlights six colors in this vibrant, playful board book…The sheer joy of the event comes through on nearly every page…Communicating the universal concept of color within the specific celebration of Holi, this gem deserves a place in every child's book bag."

– Kirkus Reviews, starred review for Holi Colors