A Different Pond

Starred review from June 12, 2017
Phi, a poet whose parents were Vietnamese refugees, draws from childhood memories in this story about fishing with his father before sunrise on the lakes of Minneapolis. They didn’t do it for fun; it was a way to put food on the table. “Everything in America costs a lot of money,” his father tells him. Sometimes, they run into fishermen from other marginalized communities: a Hmong man “speaks English like my dad and likes to talk about funny movies,” and a black man “shows me his colorful lure collection.” Though the morning is an adventure for the boy, it’s the start of a long day for his father, who heads to work afterward (as does the boy’s mother). Bui (The Best We Could Do) uses confident ink lines and watery washes of deep blue to evoke the predawn setting and tender familial relationship. Graphic novel panels and strong figures give the pages the air of a documentary as Phi celebrates an unexpected superhero: a father who endures a strange new culture, works to support his family, cherishes time with his son, and draws no attention to the sacrifices he’s made. Ages 6–8.

January 1, 2018
Hours before sunrise, a Vietnamese American father and son go fishing for that night's meal. This powerfully understated picture book shifts the usual focus of the refugee narrative to the reality awaiting a family once they reach their destination. With evocative detail and a keen ear for metaphor, Phi hints at the family's joys and struggles. Bui sets the mood with expressive brushwork and alternating colors for home and outside.

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