The Paper Boat

By Thao Lam

A family and ants embark on a perilous escape from Vietnam.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 710 ratings

40 pages

$17.95Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In a wordless tale, a girl and her family flee war-torn Vietnam, guided by ants through a moonlit jungle. As they face harsh weather and dangers, a paper boat becomes a symbol of hope. Will they find safety and a new beginning? This unique story of courage and resilience unfolds through stunning collage art, intertwining human and ant journeys.

From the publisher

A Kirkus Reviews most anticipated picture book of fall 2020 with starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal and the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books – a heartfelt and personal immigration story, new from critically acclaimed author Thao Lam New from Thao Lam, the award-winning author of picture books My Cat Looks Like My Dad, Wallpaper, and Skunk on a String, comes a personal story inspired by her family’s refugee journey. In The Paper Boat, Thao’s signature collage art tells the wordless story of one family’s escape from Vietnam–a journey intertwined with an ant colony’s parallel narrative. At her home in Vietnam, a girl rescues ants from the sugar water set out to trap them. Later, when the girl’s family flees war-torn Vietnam, ants lead them through the moonlit jungle to the boat that will take them to safety. Before boarding, the girl folds a paper boat from a bun wrapper and drops it into the water, and the ants climb on. Their perilous journey, besieged by punishing weather, predatory birds, and dehydration, before reaching a new beginning, mirrors the family’s own. Impressionistic collages and a moving, Own Voices narrative make this a one-of-a-kind tale of courage, resilience, and hope.

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