A Different Pond....A Beautiful Story Of Family, History and New Beginnings

There is a very special book that I can't wait to share with you. 

It is called A Different Pond by acclaimed poet Bao Phi and graphic novelist Thi Bui, which Capstone is very proud to release in just a few days on August 1.  

Capstone shares, 

Acclaimed poet Bao Phi delivers a powerful, honest glimpse into a relationship between father and son—and between cultures, old and new. A Different Pond is an unforgettable story about a simple event—a long-ago fishing trip. As a young boy, Bao Phi awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao’s father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam. 

You can watch the book trailer for A Different Pond too.  

When we read this beautiful book, it takes us into Bao Phi's life as a young boy.

The panels on the pages are the perfect way to represent his emotion as he travels through the early morning to their fishing spot.

I love seeing how excited Bao Phi gets as he encounters all of the different people in his life.  The diversity in this book is very special too.

The New York Times has said that Bao Phi’s poetry “rhymes with the truth.” Together with graphic novelist Thi Bui’s striking, evocative art, Phi’s expertly crafted prose reflects an immigrant family making its way in a new home while honoring its bonds to the past.

Not only do we all think A Different Pond is a book that every child needs to read and every library needs to have, it has received four starred reviews as well.

Just look at these....

★ “Phi’s bittersweet story of the resourcefulness of an immigrant family is lovingly illustrated in Bui’s evocative artwork. . . .This wistful, beautifully illustrated story will resonate not only with immigrant families but any family that has faced struggle.”

—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

★ “A fishing trip is not just a fishing trip in this poignant, semiautobiographical tale. . . .Together, Phi's gentle, melodic prose and Bui's evocative art, presented in brushy and vividly colored panels and double-page spreads, rise above the melancholy to tell a powerful, multilayered story about family, memory, and the costs of becoming a refugee. Spare and simple, a must-read for our times.”

—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

★ “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.”

—Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

★ “This gorgeous tale about a father/son fishing trip shows the interconnectedness of family and the inexorable way that generational history impacts the present. . . .Bui’s cinematic illustrations make use of panels and weighted lines, evoking the perfect background or facial expression for each piece of text. . . .This gentle coming-of-age story is filled with loving, important aspects of the immigrant experience and is a first purchase for all libraries.”

—School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

A Different Pond is available on August 1 from Capstone.  

You can order it here.