Being talented in a society obsessed with winning runs a big risk. It's easy to lose the joy that drew you in when you started.
This dilemma faces Wei, the young skater whom Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen bases on some of his own experiences. Wei loves figure skating, which in itself adds depth to this book in a world where Asian boys figure skating hasn't been a hot topic. He enjoys its sensory experience — the rink's cool air and "the CRRSH, CRRSH sound of his skates on the ice" — and has fun becoming more and more skillful.
But all that changes as competition approaches and he finds himself uncharacteristically nervous, wobbly, unsure, and forgetful. Then he trips over his skates in front of his whole family, and his confidence is sorely undermined. His mother's acknowledgment of his fears, careful listening, and advice to "forget about winning" and "do what makes you happy" gives him the encouragement he needs to remember the wonders of the wind in his hair and "that split second of astronaut weightlessness at the top of a jump."
Illustrator Lorraine Nam not only beautifully captures the vivacity of a whirling and leaping young skater but also does much to underscore the theme of supportive family. When Wei is too distracted and confused to taste his dinner, we see him with his family of eight people — three generations — and a dog who's got one of the younger kids well trained to give him tidbits under the table. In contrast to Wei's worry, an atmosphere of cheer and gratitude prevails.
Chen's Author's Note helps readers understand some of the parallels with his own experience. Most fundamental was his discovery that trying to win undermined his performance. For him, as for Wei in the story, it was vital to focus on the joy of his sport, regardless of outcome. For four-to-eight years old children reading this book, that message of how to change your mindset may come at just the right moment.
