My Footprints

by Bao Phi, Basia Tran (Illustrator)

Every child feels different in some way, but Thuy feels "double different." She is Vietnamese American and she has two moms. Thuy walks home one winter afternoon, angry and lonely after a bully's taunts. Then a bird catches her attention and sets Thuy on an imaginary exploration. What if she could fly away like a bird? What if she could sprint like a deer, or roar like a bear? Mimicking the footprints of each creature in the snow, she makes her way home to the arms of her moms. Together, the three of them imagine beautiful and powerful creatures who always have courage - just like Thuy.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Childrens, Family, Animals, Cultural, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2019

About the author

Bao Phi is a Vietnamese-American spoken word artist,[1][2] writer and community activist living in Minnesota. Bao Phi's collection of poems, Sông I Sing, was published in 2011[3] and, Thousand Star Hotel, was published in 2017[4] by Coffee House Press. He has written three children’s books published by Capstone Press. First book, A Different Pond received multiple awards, including the Caldecott Award,[5] Charlotte Zolotow Award,[6] the Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature for best picture book, the Minnesota Book Award for picture books.[7]

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book about a girl dealing with school bullying. There is no revenge or unrealistic resolve to it, she finds a way to be okay at home. It’s very good.

The girl is named Thuy and she has two moms. She gets kids making fun of her moms and telling her to go back to her country. That would be terrible. But Thuy begins making tracks in the snow, bird tracks, hoof prints and then goes to bigger animals like elephants that can protect her. Her moms get in on it and help her.

The artwork is wonderful and it’s about snow, so you know I adore that. Bao Phi was a Caldecott Honor winner last year, and I think he is going to be someone to watch as I like his stuff. It’s very different, but good.

The nephew thought this was a good book. He thought the girl should have made a giant snowman that came to life and made those kids pay. He enjoyed the animals it showed in the snow and the animals the girls made up. He said it could have been better though. It was 3 stars for him.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this book so many times that I’ve lost count but each time I’ve tried to write my review I haven’t known what I wanted to say about it.

Thuy has been bullied at school again. She is angry and upset, but on her way home she notices her “jagged footprints”.

When she sees a lone bird, she imagines what it would be like to be able to fly away from danger and recreates its footprints in the snow. She continues to imagine other animals and makes their footprints her own as she arrives home.

“I want to be the biggest and strongest and scariest monster,” Thuy says, “so that if kids at school make fun of me for having two moms, or tell me to go back to where I come from, or call me names, or bother me because I’m a girl, I can make them stop!”

Together Momma Arti, Momma Ngoc and Thuy talk about which animals are strong and which are their favourites. Then Thuy imagines the best animal of all.

I loved Basia Tran’s illustrations, particularly Thuy’s Arti-Thuy-Ngoc-osaurus.

This imagined creature has footprints shaped like hearts, which I absolutely adored.

While I don’t think I would have appreciated this book as a child, adult me loves its messages. Thuy’s story tackles the impacts of bullying but also highlights the importance of having a supportive family. She is learning about courage and perseverance, and the power of her imagination, and I love her and her family more with each reread.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what it is about this book. There really isn't much objectively wrong with it. I just didn't love it.

Maybe it's the style of illustration. It's cute and helps tell the story... but it's not really a style I like.

Maybe it's the slightly vague message. I read the book after having forgotten what the synopsis said it was about, and I didn't really get the theme from the actual reading. At first, I didn't really see what making animal tracks had to do with overcoming bullying; it becomes more clear later, but I'd be afraid little kids might lose interest--or the point--by then.

Thuy's made-up creature is a little heavy-handed. I'm not sure a child as young as her (she's in the midst of losing her teeth, so she's likely in the 5-7 age range) would come up with a creature that's so representative of so many marginalized groups; as a result, that part comes across as the adult author speaking through his child character, and it's not subtle.

I'm also not a fan of third-person, present-tense writing. It doesn't disappear into the background enough, and I'm constantly aware of it... when I just want to be focusing on the actual story.

I can see this book working well for others with different tastes. Some people might like the artwork and the writing style and not be bothered by the vagueness of the message or the small child being used as a mouthpiece. But when I read a picture book, I want to forget I'm reading and just lose myself in the story. For me, this book has too many things that remind me that I'm just a reader looking in from the outside.

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone for providing a digital ARC.

[Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thuy is a little Vietnamese American ray of pure sunshine. 💖🌞

I don't know whether to gush about the kitty hat, the two mommies, the gorgeous illustrations, or how Thuy uses animals and their/her footprints to understand her emotions after being bullied at school for being different. This book is definitely going into my favorites collection. My birthday is in September (when My Footprints releases) so you can bet your 'snake butt' I'll be buying myself and my nephews this beautiful book. Thuy reminds us how simple love, acceptance, and the magic of imagination is in a child's eyes. It's perfect for cuddling up and reading to the small children in your life on a cold snowy day. 💕❄

***So much gratitude to Netgalley and Capstone for giving me the opportunity to find this little gem.***

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thuy, a little girl uses her imagination to create a fantastical creature after an encounter with bullies. Use this one to discuss strategies for overcoming bullies with your children or students. Or to promote using your imagination.

[Dana Cristiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to thank Bao Phi, Capstone and NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This little book has such a big place in my heart! It's about this little girl called Thuy. She has been bullied by children from school because she has two mothers, so after she encounters a beautiful red bird she tries creating the bird's footsteps, thinking about how it would have been if she herself was a bird.

Going home to her mothers, all three of them start creating footsteps of mythological creatures together and they end up very happy.

This book was too small, but the story and characters so powerful! I felt like I was there with them. I recommend this book to everyone who still tries to find themselves, but also to everyone else that simply enjoy a great graphic novel.
P.S. The illustrations were amazing!

4.5 stars.

[Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Thuy, school is place in which she is driven to isolation and made to feel unwelcome. She is often laughed at for having two mothers, for being a girl and an immigrant. Yet, her solitary trip home leads to Thuy losing herself to the snowy landscape and through the shape of her footprints in the snow she imagines herself into another place or as another creature.

This imaginative play soothes her until her mothers inquire about her day. Thuy opens up and together they imagine themselves as powerful, mythological creatures that can overcome any challenge. Finally, in a lovely touch, Thuy herself creates her own mythological monster and finds that her strength comes from both celebrating who she is and those who care for her.

Having read and adored A Different Pond, I was excited to read Phi's second picturebook. A useful and insightful author's note at the back explains the premise and inspiration behind this story. Phi wanted to write a book in which space and time were given to celebrate marginalised groups and to cast a spotlight on the daily harm that is done by those who choose to segregate.

Although I love that Phi has written this as positive message for his own daughter, I felt that he was trying too hard to tick too many boxes. Same-sex relationships are rare in children's literature but they weren't really explored. There was no real sense of bullying either other than a confused and contradictory opening (Thuy is disliked because she is a girl is contradicted by the fact that one of the bullies 'is' a girl).

The cultural heritage element was lovely but to place it upon only a few pages near the end just wasn't enough to enjoy its depth and richness. And although I liked the idea of Thuy creating creatures out of her footprints (and the story of how Phi was inspired by his own daughter's playfulness with footprints in snow), the repetition of the phrased jarred the narrative somewhat.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever worked backwards from a picture book in an attempt to figure out how the author came up with the final product? No one can ever truly know a writer’s process except the writer themself, but as an exercise in revision it can be fun to try. For the best results, I suggest starting with a picture book that doesn’t slip into the crowd unnoticed. For example, in a given year I can read so many picture books that they all start to blur together. But when I read My Footprints by Bao Phi, the final product was so original and unusual that I couldn’t help but remember it months and months later. I returned to it, and just this evening I reread it to see what it was that stayed so clearly in my mind. For kicks, I tried figuring out how the author was able to reach the final product in the way that he had. Reader, I failed magnificently because no one, save Bao Phi himself, knows how this book was truly constructed. Fortunately, you don’t need to know. All you need to do is locate it, read it, and discover a story about family and frustration (not necessarily in that order) and fantasy. Welcome to a book that recognizes that every family is its own chimera.

Walking home in the snow from school, Thuy’s hurt. Kids at school are laughing at her again. Maybe it was because she has two moms, or she’s a girl, or because they’ve told her to “go back where you come from,” but whatever it is she faces it by turning her footprints into the prints of different animals. Small prints first, like birds or deer. Then bigger prints like leopards and bears. Finally enormous prints. And with the help of her Momma Arti and Momma Ngoc, the three are able to become magnificent, huge, magical creatures. Powerful and kind. Or, as Thuy puts it, “An unexpected combination of beautiful things.”

I couldn’t work out how Bao Phi wrote this book without first determining why it strikes me as so different from other picture books on the market today. So to start, let’s examine the opening of the book. People talk a lot about first sentences as they apply to novels, but picture books benefit as highly from a well placed turn of phrase. The first sentence of My Footprints reads, “Thuy sees those kids laughing at her again.” The reader has been dropped into the story not just at a moment in progress, but at a dramatic and emotional moment that will set off the whole book. Bao could have gone a far more standard route. Maybe begin the proceedings with something dull like, “One day Thuy was leaving school when she ran into two classmates she didn’t like very much.” My husband is a screenwriter and he has a phrase I’ve appropriated for picture book writing. Whenever you have something superfluous in your text, “it comes right out.” Anything preceding the actual first line of My Footprints comes right out. We don’t need to be eased into this. That first sentence grabs the reader’s attention immediately. It doesn’t ask for your permission to begin. It dives right in.

Part of the advantage of a book that leaps into the storytelling is that if you’ve been thrown just a little bit off at the start, you’re almost more willing to accept similar surprises in the text as you read. That first sentence is followed soon thereafter by, “The white crisp blanket of new snow cracks like eggshells beneath her feet.” So the author has plunged you into an emotional situation, then followed it up with delicious, familiar (to some) descriptions. It’s here that Thuy notices her footprints in that snow and starts turning them into different animals as she walks home. That’s a fun thing kids do anyway, but each one, you come to realize, has a connection to her anger and frustration. Bao also takes care to imbue the book with those conflicting emotions that take hold of us sometimes. There’s a moment when Thuy asks if snakes have butts and her moms laugh. “Thuy laughs at first too, then frowns. She feels like a sudden snowstorm.” I can already hear child readers become confused by her shifting emotions. The author opens the book up in this way, inviting kids and the adults reading to them the chance to talk about why Thuy might be acting the way that she is. Bao uses unexpected dips and snags in the text to give you the same sense of the roller coaster emotions that his heroine is feeling. It’s a textual risk, and it pays off.

And none of this is even talking about the central metaphor of the book. I like to talk a lot about books for kids that have messages. I’m not anti-message. I’m anti-poorly done messages. The least interesting children’s authors spell things out in great big blocks, because they are under the distinct impression that it is the more efficient method of teaching children. I can’t argue the efficiency, but lord can it be awful to have to read. A poorly written message is a clunky creature. It makes you all the more appreciative of authors like Bao Phi. In this book he’s telling a story about a girl who is urged by bullies to feel shame about her looks, gender, and family. To build herself up on the way home she embodies different animals. Then, when she is with her moms, they encourage her to join them as they become mythic creatures that are the embodiment of different animals joined together. The author gets close to giving away the game altogether when Thuy makes up her own magical creature, but somehow he manages to pull her back from the brink of obviousness. The metaphor is there for the kids to grasp and understand if they want to, but if they don’t then you get to see cool creatures like the phoenix and the sarabha, and that’s pretty darn neat in and of itself.

Artist Basia Tran is relatively new to the picture book scene. Using graphite and digital color, her style is intriguing. She makes choices that I like, while there are others I might change. For example, I was quite taken with the ways in which she plays with perspective. In one picture we look down on a cardinal in a tree who, in turn, is looking down on Thuy. I loved the meticulousness of the feathers on his back. I like too how the artist will sometimes break the text into long panels, or close-ups of Thuy’s face, and occasionally from below looking up. Of course, there are some things I might change with some small revisions. The first time we see Thuy’s moms, one has a shovel and is standing in the middle of the path to the house (makes sense) while the other one is standing with her own shovel like a statue, unaccountably in the middle of the yard. In Thuy you get this clear cut sense of personality and spark and sparkle. The moms, meanwhile, will carry the same expressions at the same time. They’re a unit, rather than individuals, and I get the reasoning behind rendering them that way, but it would have been nice if they’d been allowed a little more personality than we’re seeing here. It’s fortunate that Basia is so adept at giving the mystical its honest due.

In his Author’s Note at the end, Bao Phi writes that, “One thing that may be universal to all parents is, we want our kids to have an easier, better life than we did.” Having difficult conversations with your children, and not dismissing their problems, is one of the hardest parts of being a parent. It’s funny, but at first I thought that the parents in this book were avoiding that kind of a conversation with Thuy. It was only after I read it over a couple times that I realized how perfectly they were giving their daughter an opportunity to open up to them. Indeed, after she closes up, her imaginings allow her to say all kinds of things to them about her problems that she might never confess otherwise. I wouldn’t label this as a set of guidelines for parents, but it certainly models good behavior for adult readers. Add on the fact that it has realistic situations, an imagination used for the ultimate good, magical creatures, tip top writing, and plummy art and you have yourself a story like few others out there today. Want a book that’ll stick in your brain for long periods of time for all the right reasons? Chant along with me then . . . my footprints, my footprints, my footprints . . .

For ages 4-7.

[Ms. Arca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited about receiving an ARC of this new book by Bao Phi from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I loved A Different Pond and so I was thrilled to get to see what Bao Phi did next.

I am torn about this one !
-I really love the way Bao thinks carefully about stories (the author’s note made me appreciate the book much more) and how he works to put affirming and empowering stories into the world.
- I loved that the main character had a sense of curiosity, and also the up and down swings of big feelings
- I love that the main character had two mommas, who were supportive and imaginative with her

- I didn’t love how clunky and discombobulated the story felt for me at times. It was ambitious (but a cool idea!) to take on imaginary animal play, a frustrated moment after feeling bullied in the real world, and this repetitive and simple “my footprints!” exclamation/refrain. Each one of those pieces felt like they could be in different books, and even sometimes felt like they mismatched to such a degree that it felt like a representation of multiple kids of very different ages (especially the “my foot prints!” refrain, that felt like a toddler story or exclamation kept in because of the love of the idea but not of actual use to the story). I was hoping it would all come together for me, it never quite did.
- While I liked her big swing in emotions, I felt like it was a missed opportunity to illustrate navigating it or sorting out what wasn’t working. The main character yells at her moms and then a frame later its like nothing happened. I suppose that is often what happens in real life, but it felt abrupt in the build of such a short, but busy story.

There’s lots to enjoy and a few pieces I think ought to be worked out, which made this one a bit disappointing for me. That being said this one has potential and I’m curious to see what others see or think about it!

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a secret. I got a look at a detailed editorial email about this book that was sent to me by mistake when somebody re-used some previously printed paper. Good recycling!

And now that the book is out and it's amazing and smart and gorgeous and full-hearted, I can say how much I've been looking forward to it, just based on that email - which I did not share with anybody!! Please don't let anyone get in trouble for the leak!

It was a fascinating peek into the fine-tuning that goes into a truly extraordinary picture book though. An education in meta-reading in a single page. If you can ever get somebody to voluntarily share such an email, I recommend it highly.

[Abby Johnson]

When kids from school laugh at Thuy for being different, she feels powerless. On her way home from school, she sees her footprints in the snow and begins to make new footprints - first like the gentle cardinal and deer she sees, but soon like bigger, fiercer creatures that can stand up for themselves against bullies. Finally, when she gets home from school, Thuy and her moms start imagining giant creatures and make up a creature of their own. This is a quietly powerful story that may speak to kids who feel different or who are bullied.

[***Book Lady *** · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book with breathtaking illustrations! I found myself not being able to wait to turn the next page and see what it beheld! The story was beautifully told and dealt with many tough issues like bullying and being different in many ways. Shining through the pages was the love she was shown by her two moms, who supported her and her amazing imagination. I highly recommend this book for any little ones and their loving adults to share!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*thank you to Netgalley and Capstone for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.

This was a good, cute story. I really liked the illustrations, particularly the colours chosen. The story is unfortunately one that many children can identify with in some way. Either through bullying or having a family with same gender parents. I really felt the love from the mum's. It was touching and just shows just how big of an effect kindness can have on somebody.

[Nory M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Capstone Edition through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such an inspiring read!

“There are lots of different ways to be strong. An eagle is strong at flying in the sky. A dolphin is strong at swimming in the sea” – Momma Arti

This is not your average book about bullying. Thuy is a Vietnamese American girl that has two moms. We meet Thuy when she is walking away from her bullies. I particularly liked this about the book, it is not focused on the bullies but rather takes the reader directly into Thuy’s brilliant mind and, later, we see how she manages her insecurities with a little help from her moms, Momma Ngoc and Mamma Arti.

I chose this book both because of its beautiful illustrations and because it is uncommon to find a children’s book that so actively presents lgbttq+ characters. The illustrations enhance the story, we get to see not only Thuy and her moms, but we also get a glimpse into their minds. Colorful animals (real and imagined ones) fill the pages of the book while Thuy tries to find her own footprints in the snow. The footprints are such a clever metaphor for Thuy finding her place in the world. Her two moms go through this brief journey with her and help her imagine different magnificent creatures, like the Phoenix and the Sarabha, so Thuy can finally see for herself her own “creature’s” footprints. As Momma Arti points out in the lines quoted above, every animal is strong in their own way, and Thuy finds her place (and her strength) in her family.

I would recommend this book for any parent or guardian who is looking to teach their kids about diversity and acceptance. And, of course, for anyone that thinks that we need more books that truly invite us to smile and believe that a more colorful future is possible.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from netgalley and was attracted to it because of the cover - it did not disappoint on an artistic front. I loved the art throughout this title, and really loved the details but also the simplicity of the illustrations. The little cat hat the little girl wears throughout is fun and whimsy and both reminds me of so many little girls I know, and what I myself would have loved as a girl that age!

The book itself is a fun journey in strength and resilience and imagination. The little girl is frustrated by being different, and the imagined animals, and the way her mothers help her through that, is thoroughly enjoyable to read.

[Dana Gisser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the opportunity to read this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit I felt a little torn about how to review this book. On one hand, I felt a little lost in the message? I found myself thinking "this might be an interesting book to read for a science story time about animal tracking?" rather than understanding the metaphor of the footprints?

I think overall it was cute with a lot of potential but it fell a little bit short for me when it came to the storytelling.

The artwork however, in my opinion, was very well done and a style I really enjoyed.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5

Thuy is a Vietnamese-American little girl who is bullied and teased at school - in part because of her appearance/heritage, and also because she has two mothers instead of a mother/father parent base. On her way home from a particularly bad day at school she notices her footprints in the snow and her childhood imagination takes over and she pretends she's a variety of animals.

When she returns home, she tells her mothers about her problems at school. They don't try to solve her problems, but instead just show some love and offer to play pretend with her.

This is a pretty simple story (as a picture book ought to be) with some pretty grand themes ... LGBTQ and racial bigotry is a lot to take on in a picture book. But it's the subtlety that makes this work. The book is mostly about love (parent for child) and finding ways to escape the anger and frustration of teasing and bullying at school.

The creative imagination that Thuy goes through would be fun to recreate as adults read this out loud to children and I can imagine my children would have enjoyed multiple readings of this book.
And yet the subtlety is almost too subtle. The book is so gentle in its presentation that the issues (same-sex parenting and racism) can easily get lost. Maybe that's a good thing...? I mean there are some things we don't need to discuss outright with very young children, but having them present in a book so that it can be discussed if the child brings it up, can be quite helpful.

The artwork by Basia Tran is delightful and friendly and children will enjoy staring at each page.
One minor complaint... being of Midwestern, Anglo-Saxon descent, I didn't know the pronunciation of many of these terms and names. It's nice that there is a pronunciation guide in the back of the book, but it would have been more helpful for me to know that before I read it - very incorrectly - the first time.

Look for this book when it is released in the fall of 2019 and have it ready to read before the first snow. Your children will love making their own unique footprints in the snow after reading this.
Looking for a good book? My Footprints by Bao Phi, with art by Basia Tran, is a sweet picture book with subtle themes of racism and LGBTQ that will open the door for discussion.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Dorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Footprints
by Bao Phi
Illustrated by Basia Tran
due 9-1-2019
Capstone
5.0/5.0

#netgalley. #MyFootprints.

What a beautiful book!
Inspiring and positive, this is about a young girl, Thuy, who is bullied because she is Vietnamese-American and because she has two moms.
Thuy uses her imagination to Express her feelings by making footprints of different animals in the snow.....fly like a bird, sprint like a deer, roar like a lion.....
Her mother's, Momma Ngoc and Momma Arti, and Thuy, begin making their own footprints in the snow, talking of different animals and their strengths.
This reminds me of how important identity, perception and a sense of belonging help mold not just us, but how others see us. Perceptions can mold the footprints we leave behind or how we view ourselves.
Illustrations are gorgeous, colors are beautiful and perfectly represent this story.
This is a book written for ages 5-9, but I think it could be for any age.
I look forward to seeing more from Bao Phi and Basia Tran.
Thanks to netgalley and Capstone for sending this e-book ARC for review.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read anything about this book but grabbed it at my library because it has such a lovely cover. I imagined a beautiful winter book, and it is so much more. Bao Phi writes a loving author's note at the back for us readers, and the feelings and intent are shown in the words and gorgeous and snowy illustrations by Basia Tran. This is a story of a young girl Thuy who leaves school once more with kids laughing at her. She feels sad, enjoys seeing a cardinal on the way home while also watching her footprints and draws a line between them to mimic a bird's claw. It's peaceful in the snow and almost home, she ignores the "How was school?" question, then shouts at her mothers, yes, two moms: "I don't want to talk about it." The overall rest focuses on all the footprints made by Thuy and her moms & the created monster that collectively gives them courage, that "Arti-Thuy-Ngoc-osaurus", (made from their names and footprints! Bao Phi writes a short explanation of the Phoenix from East Asian mythology and the Sarabha, a roaring creature from Hindu mythology at the back, too.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sweet, simple multicultural book. Thuy is a young girl who experiences the laughter and ridicule of other children at her own expense. She is young, sensitive and feels "different". She sees her own footprints in the snow and in her imagination becomes something more, something powerful and free. She loves her life and both of her mothers, but she is uncertain as to where she fits in. Momma Arti tells her there are many ways to be strong, and together, the three of them form their own undivided family through the exploration and mingling of their own footprints.

This is a book of self-discovery and self-acceptance. I like the innocent way the story is told and how it comes back together. I will put this in my library for children to discover.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

*netgalley review*

First of all, I never read a book that is related to LBGTQ. The book cover first caught my attention and I wanted to give a shot and I am happy I did.

It is a sweet and short book which revolves around our main character, Thuy. She is a Vietnamese-American girl who has two mums and because of such differences, she gets bullied at school. She tries to gain comfort and courage imagining strong animals like leopard, bear etc... With her mums, they make footprints of various cultural elements on snow, each expressed in details at the end of the book.

I liked the illustration and the plot of the book.

[Seema Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet ~ Lovely ~ Gentle
tl; dr: Girl is teased but finds her own way (literally).

I requested this ARC based on the cover. And, the colored pencil (and perhaps watercolor) illustrations don't disappoint. The humans are well-drawn, but the imaginary animals are particularly nice. This would be a great book for a teacher helping kids see the many colors in "white" clouds and snow. But, I found the story about resilience, and a little girl finding her way despite mean people sweet. Being different is hard, and this book shows one way to handle yourself when you feel left out.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long walk through the snow gives Thuy the chance to express both her anger and her creativity after she is bullied by schoolmates for being different. Thuy makes her way home, mimicking various animal tracks as she forges the powdery path home to her mothers. There, she is met with empathy and unspoken support, and the three band together to find strength as they honor unexpected creatures of their imaginations and heritage.

A powerful Author's Note adds extra context to an already compelling text. This beautiful story of courage, identity, resilience, and family will be a welcome addition to homes and classrooms with an SEL curriculum.

[Izzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Phi’s other children’s book “A Different Pond” and repeatedly purchased it as gifts for others; as soon as I heard he had another book coming out, I immediately put it on hold at my local library.

I was definitely not disappointed by this lovely children’s book — love the representation of an Asian daughter being raised by two mothers of color. I loved how cultural mythical creatures were also brought into the book for both story purposes and artistic illustration. Will definitely be gifting this to friends and their children.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think this book had much to do with footprints. I think it goes in a few different directions when the message it's trying to send is that everyone is different and that's okay. Thuy is bullied for being a POC and for having two moms. Her way of coping is creating an animal that is strong and brave to fight away the bad feelings of being bullied. It's a sweet story but I wish it would have been a little more direct in its message. Books need to start telling bullies to stop being jerks rather than telling the bullied to stay strong.

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful artworks in this book, but the story... not really my style. Lot of imagination and familly love which is a good thing of course, but just seem like it was going nowhere. Love the art but not the story... too bad!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book! I cannot wait to share it with the children in my life!! Being a child who is bullied because of so many different things is not easy, but Bao addresses this with his sweet and sassy character and her moms beautifully while embracing her culture.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thuy (pronounces Twee) is an adorable, creative little girl who loves pretending to make the snow footprints of all sorts of animals on the way home from school, where she has a problem with being bullied.

The illustrations are wonderful.

Kids enjoyed this book.

[Saloni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun picture book featuring people of color and the LGBTQ community! Books like these need to become the norm for children's picture books.

[Juan Calvo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Beautiful Children’s Book Tries to Tackle Big World Topics

I’ve found that I don’t always give my kids enough credit. Like any six and nine year old, they are pretty thick headed, but they can also be sensitive, insightful and tuned it, at times. My Footprints by Bao Phi is one of those books where it doesn’t take much to empathize with the young character Thuy. She is teased and bullied in ways that just about anyone can appreciate, mainly for being different.

Throughout Phi’s book with its buoyant narrative and brilliant artwork, Thuy summons the strength to deal with being made to feel odd and unwelcome. Phi works hard at capturing the ways in which someone so young, might handle her feelings around this experience. Thuy makes sense of the taunting from students by turning to animal friends both real and imagined.

My Footprints never resorts to preachiness or tries to make the little girl into a crusader in any way. Instead, Phi creates the inner world of his character appropriate to her age. Her coping mechanism early on is represented by the footprints she can make: a fierce leopard who can camouflage, a bear that other animals are afraid of, an elephant, a snake and finally mythical creatures.

Phi brings dialogue to his narrative that at times is endearing. He demonstrates the imaginings of his character as she talks to herself and imitates the animals she imagines. In children’s literature, dialogue, good dialogue is what draws kids in, it makes stories relatable in ways that narrative alone can never do. Kids’ books are meant to be read aloud and the cardinal sin for books directed at this particular age group, is dialogue that is clunky or unintelligible. What I may be able to forgive in my head when reading a novel, I can never forgive when reading aloud to my children. Stories like My Footprints are designed to be verbal, and dialogue is the most visceral part of this kind of storytelling. In Phi’s book the dialogue can be sharp, like when Thuy describes a mythical creature:

“It can fly, and swim, and run, and it is always kind to everyone else and only eats birthday cake.”

Then there are passages of dialogue that are not so successful:

“There are lots of different ways to be strong. An eagle is strong at flying in the sky. A dolphin is strong at swimming in the sea.”

Finally there is dialogue that is frankly missing, but I’ll get into that later.

It’s the artwork that gives this book life. Set in the snow, Basia Tran creates a beautiful energy using white backgrounds, splendid overhead shots and comic book vignette boxes. Notably she is able to capture the most critical parts of the story, the different footprints made in snow—simple, yet incredibly difficult to pull off effectively. Her ability to demonstrate height when challenged by the emptiness of white space, with few ques to establishing elevation, is quite remarkable.

One particularly effective element that Tran uses is Thuy’s cat-faced stocking cap. It seems to have a life of its own. Through several of those inventive overhead shots, Thuy’s head is completely obscured by the hat, giving her the face of a cat. Clever illustrations like that are what set apart those who can just produce great artwork from those who are able to tell a compelling story through great artwork.

Tran successfully depicts Thuy in a non-gender conforming way that seems natural without trying to make a point—look, here is a tomboy and her two moms. Tran’s illustrations of the character are delightful and reminiscent of Max from Where the Wild Things Are. She successfully establishes a backdrop for her character’s sadness without pushing an in-your-face byline about same sex parents and kids who don’t fit into traditional gender roles. Having read a number of books on the market that deal with this kind of material, the treatment here is effective and feels mostly genuine.

My Footprints doesn’t shy away from the subject though. In fact Phi includes enough here for just about any kid who might feel marginalized in society. In a thirty-four page kids’ book though, it’s a tall order: sexism, racism and homophobia. These are big topics for kids and parents to handle. The truism for books in this genre dealing with difficult, real world matters is this: The story isn’t over when the story’s over.
A book like My Footprints generates questions and elicits conversations. Kids want to know: Why are the bigger kids being mean? Why does Thuy not have a dad? Why would anyone make fun of me for being a girl? Big, big, BIG topics. Since Phi puts these themes out there, it seems as though there needs to be some treatment, a way of understanding and empathizing with Thuy. That would have come from other voices in the book, dialogue that would have provided context, reactions and more of a response.

Without giving away too much, the narrative goes strangely silent. There is a subtlety to Phi’s storytelling that might not reach kids. My Footprints has symbolic references, but maybe not those that kids will be able to manage easily. I wondered for example whether footprints in the snow had some mythological meaning, instead of the simple notion that they are representations of the maker, a kind of identity. This is children’s literature though, and one should never get too deep when reading to a six-year-old.

While Phi’s treatment of difficult subjects might not be straight forward, his message is clear. Find support in those who love you, but find strength from within. Most importantly though, regardless of how others treat you, be kind and show compassion, particularly to those who are different, because in the end we are all just multi-colored hairy, eight-legged beasts.

(Note: This review is provided courtesy of the Midnight Book Club, which received a digital galley proof of this book prior to its release from NetGalley on behalf of Capstone Editions/Press. All Midnight Book Club reviews are uncompensated and reflect honest assessments of these works.)