Barefoot Skateboarders
Written by Rina Singh
Illustrated by Sophie Casson
Published by Orca Book Publishers
ACTIVITIES
Teacher Guide (from Publisher)
BOOK SYNOPSIS
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.
RINA SINGH
Rina Singh is an award-winning children’s book author and spoken word coach whose storytelling reflects her deep curiosity about the world and her compassion for all living beings. Drawn to real-life stories that illuminate resilience, justice, and our shared responsibility to care for one another and the planet, she writes books that inspire young readers to dream big and act boldly.
From Grandmother School, which celebrates the dignity of education at any age, to The Lion Queen, about saving the last Asiatic lions; 111 Trees, about planting trees to heal a village; and Bird Brothers, about rescuing the injured black kites of Delhi—her stories honour ordinary people who act with extraordinary kindness.
Translated into multiple languages, her books have received starred reviews in Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist, and appear on the Bank Street and NYPL Best Books lists. Grandmother School won the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize, while 111 Trees received the Social Justice Literature Award and was featured in The New York Times. She lives in a blue house in Toronto.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Contact info: rinasinghca@gmail.com
Website: https://www.rinasingh.com/
Instagram: @storiesbysingh
X: @storiesbysingh
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Let’s Eat. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, forthcoming 2026.
- A Place in the World. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions, forthcoming 2026.
- Bird Brothers. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2025.
- Barefoot Skateboarders. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2024.
- The Lion Queen. Petaluma, CA: Cameron + Company, 2023.
- Once, a Bird. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2023.
- Imagine a Garden. Vancouver, BC: Greystone Kids, 2023.
- The Forest Keeper. Zurich/Geneva, Switzerland: NordSüd Verlag, 2023.
- My Heart Beats. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2021.
- 111 Trees. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2020. (Translated into Japanese)
- Grandmother School. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2020.
- A Meeting in the Sky. Mankato, MN: The Creative Company, 2019.
- Diwali Lights. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2018.
- Holi Colors. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2018.
- Diwali: Festival of Lights. Vancouver, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2016.
- My First Book of Hindi Words. Singapore/Vermont: Tuttle Publishing, 2016.
- Hindi for Heart. India: HarperCollins, 2013.
- Guru Nanak: The First Sikh Guru. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books, 2011.
- Nearly Nonsense: Hoja Tales from Turkey. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2011.
- A Forest of Stories. London, UK / Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books, 2003. (Also translated into Spanish, Catalan, Korean, Romanian, and Brazilian Portuguese)
- Moon Tales. London, UK: Bloomsbury, 1999.
- The Foolish Men of Agra. Toronto, ON: Key Porter Books, 1998.
- Silences. India: Rupa / HarperCollins, 1999.
- The Magic Braid. Toronto, ON: Sister Vision Press, 1995.
SOPHIE CASSON
SOPHIE CASSON has illustrated more than twenty-five children’s books, including Quand ils sont venus written by Andrée Poulin, which won the Espiègle Prize, an award given to books that provoke and stimulate discussion. She also illustrated Helen’s Birds, a wordless graphic novel about grief. Sophie enjoys working on projects that can be considered “difficult,” such as bullying, racism, and war. Her illustrations also appear in well-known publications such as the New York Times, the Financial Times, and Nature, and her drawings can even be seen at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. She lives and works in Montreal.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Website: https://sophiecasson.com/
Email: sophiecasson@icloud.com
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2025 Words Matter, author Anita Pazner, Groundwood (Toronto, Ontario)
2024 Barefoot Skateboarders, author Rina Singh, Orca (Vancouver, Colombie Britannique)
2024 Les planchistes aux pieds nus, author Rina Singh, Orca (Vancouver, Colombie Britannique)
2024 Lorsqu’ils sont venus, author Andrée Poulin, Isatis (Montréal, Québec)
2023 The Writer and The Prisoner, author Heather Camlot, Groundwood books (Toronto, Ontario)
2022 Same Here!, author Susan Hughes, Owlkids (Toronto, Ontario)
2021 Sing Out!, collection of folk songs, singers Sin and Swoon, The Secret Mountain (Montreal, Québec)
2019 Helen’s Birds, author Sara Cassidy, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario)
2016 The Artist and Me, author Shane Peacock, Owlkids Books (Toronto, Ontario) (translated in Japanese)
2012 En piste, Moka!, authors Danielle Marcotte et Laurence Aurélie, La courte échelle (Montréal, Québec)
2012 What’s for Lunch?, author Andrea Curtis, Red Deer Press (Markham, Ontario)
2010 Une Aventure de Pica, authors Danielle Marcotte et Laurence Aurélie, 2 titles, La courte échelle (Montréal, Québec)
2010 Au Lit, Moka!, authors Danielle Marcotte et Laurence Aurélie, La courte échelle (Montréal, Québec)
2009 Gabriela series, author Marie-Danielle Croteau, À Pas de Loup collection – 6 titles, Dominique et Compagnie (Montréal, Québec) (Éditions Héritage) (translated to English and arabic)
2008 Au loup!, author Marie-Danielle Croteau, La courte échelle (Montréal, Québec)
2008 l’Escouade Verte, author Alain M. Bergeron, HMH-Hurtubise (Montréal, Québec)
2007 Félix-Xavier Belleavance series, author Jean Lemieux – 6 titles, La courte échelle (Montréal, Québec) (translated to English)
2003 L’autobus colère, author Marie-Danielle Croteau, La courte échelle (Montréal, Québec)
2002 La croisade de Crystale Carton, author Christine Eddie, HMH-Hurtubise (Montréal, Québec)
2001 Du bout des doigts le bout du monde, author Nathalie Loignon, Dominique et Compagnie (Montréal, Québec)
