My Footprints

By Bao Phi and Ngoc Diep Barbara Tran

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Sep 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781684461202

Bao Phi

Bao Phi is an author, a poet, a community organizer, and a father. He was born in Vietnam and raised in the Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis.

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Reviews for My Footprints

[over.the.edge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My Footprintsby Bao PhiIllustrated by Basia Trandue 9-1-2019Capstone 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.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Asian-Americans, Minnesota, bullies, self-worth-issues, self-identity, snow-season, imaginative, LGBTQIA, family-dynamics, family, Vietnamese, two-moms, love, myths-legends, multicultural*****Thuy is frustrated by the nasties at school and imagines herself to be various invincible animals as she walks home in the snow making her footprints resemble those of the creatures she becomes. In her case she is mocked for not being Nordic and having two moms, but meanies will pick on any characteristic at all. When she gets home her moms remind her of other, more fantastical beasts to pretend to be. And most of all that she is loved.Basia Tran fills the pages with simple, colorful illustrations which add more meaning to this book.The ending says it all. I loved it!

[managedbybooks · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book's concept was very interesting and I was super excited to read this because of how intersectional and inclusive it is. While reading this, I had to keep in mind that it was intended for a very young audience. While I didn't dislike it, I didn't love it. I felt like the text was a little disjointed and could be smoother. It was an okay book and the illustrations were lovely, but it didn't knock my socks off.

*Book received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*