Arihhonni David: We All Have Value We Add to the World

Arihhonni (Honni) Cannon Clay David is an Illustrator from Akwesasne Ontario. A Member of the Haudenosaunee Kaniekehaka(Mohawk) people. Growing up with the legends and imagery of the Haudenosaunee people he developed a visual mind and love of art. Folllow him on Facebook and Instagram.

In this interview, Arihhonni discusses the childhood game that helped inspire his new children’s book, The Good Game, his hope for readers, and more!

Name: Arihhonni David
Book title: The Good Game
Publisher: Holiday House
Release date: August 27, 2024
Genre/category: Children’s Book
Previous titles: Who Will Win
Elevator pitch: Squirrel and Mouse love to watch the other animals play lacrosse, now they want to play too! When they ask, they’re told they are too small, but Eagle has a plan that just might work!

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

Tewaaraton is a huge part of Haudenosaunee culture. Everyone from Akwesasne plays it at some point in their life. I played The Creator’s Game as a kid before I decided I would be an artist. My father plays Lacrosse, my grandfather plays it, our ancestors did, and with this story we see one of the first games of Tewaaraton, among the animals! I am a storyteller within my community as well, and this is a favorite among the kids; it's fun to tell, the characters are so expressive, and its message is universal. Everyone brings something to the game, which makes it so special.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I would say a year and a half, maybe two years once we decided it would be the next book after Who Will Win. I traveled to New Mexico to live for about nine months with my girlfriend during an internship she was accepted into. Research for The Good Game also helped me reconnect to my community during my time away. It was during those months living away from Akwesasne that work on the book was completed. There were parts of the story that changed, or I had to remove some bits I thought were fun but didn't quite fit. However just as it is important when doing storytelling in person, the story can change depending on your audience, but the core of the story and the lessons it imparts always stays the same.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I definitely learned to pace myself better from the last book. I gave myself a healthy sleep schedule to complete this one compared to how I worked on my previous book. It was a bit more relaxed in comparison (haha). I did more sketches, many more “mood of” sketches to try out different character moments between the squirrel and mouse, as well as some characters that didn't make it into the book, but the spirit of those sketches were adapted to fit other characters—specifically with how the sticks are made for the smaller animals! It would be fun to release those sketches one day.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I found while writing this book I had already figured out most of my major moments and imagery before starting. It helped immensely that I was so familiar with the story ahead of time. Little did I know all the times I told the story since I as a teenager was helping me refine it down to my version. There were moments unique to my storytelling style in person that made it into the story, a moment in particular involving Mouse’s tail that I see a lot of early reviews really enjoy!

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope readers of this book will recognize that we all have value we add to the world. This book highlights the unique play style the Squirrel and Mouse add to the game when they are able to play. However, I hope our readers recognize the anxiety these two small animals feel and feel seen. I hope that our readers can take that lesson of this book to heart and never blunt their own shine out in the world. From the biggest, mightiest bear, to the seemingly smallest mouse, we all have a part to play, and that part can change the world around us!

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to write and rewrite, give yourself a break—come back and take what you like from that previous version into the next. Recognize that you are creative and that creativity can get exhausted. Don’t be too hard on yourself during the process, and be open to trying something new. Add in something goofy, something silly, something only you would laugh at, and you’ll be surprised how people respond. For me it was the moment with the mouse tail I found kind of silly, but I’ve noticed a lot of folks laughing and that made me laugh. We have to be our first fans before others see the work, so have fun and enjoy the process.