FINDING MY WAVE

Will today be the day that this young surfer makes it “past the whitewash…where the real waves are”?

Our protagonist awakens, consumed by worries: “The ocean is big and strong and I’m feeling…not like that at all.” The child’s anxiety builds at breakfast time: “My eggs smile at me, but I don’t smile back.” The child and Abuelita (“I call her Lita”) don wet suits, smear sunscreen, wax their surfboards, head to the beach, and enter the water. Katona intertwines creative descriptions of the youngster’s turmoil with references to surfing preparation and jargon as Lita encourages her grandchild to “become friends with your fears.” The child paddles on with renewed courage, taking deep breaths and focusing as the wave approaches. Success! “I glide through the water, almost forgetting to a take a breath.” Best of all? Lita’s right there, cheering the youngster on. Palacios’ simple, brightly colored graphic art pairs well with Katona’s text, beginning with the child’s bedroom, which is loaded with surfer paraphernalia and shows a view of the palm-treed beach. The grandparent/grandchild relationship is utterly sweet, with Lita giving the child the freedom to make missteps but always providing warm, much-needed support. Kids fretting over taking a big step of their own—especially young surfers—will find a kindred spirit here. Both characters are brown-skinned and Latine.

Cowabunga! An empowering tale of a youngster riding out waves of anxiety, with triumphant results.