Bao Phi

This book would be good for primary students. This book is "A Different Pond" written by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui, and published in 2017. This book is about a dad and a son who go fishing and his dad tells his son about how he used to go fishing with his brother before he died in Vietnam. It tells a cute story about how his son didn't wan to go fishing but after learning that it was a part of his culture he go excited to be a part of it. I think this would be a good book to have in the classroom to teach about other cultures. It has a part at the end telling a true story about the author and how they relate to the story so you know it's authentic and real.… (más)

This is a beautiful story with lovely illustrations depicting life in the United States through the eyes of those who no longer live in Viet Nam. When the small boy awakens to go fishing with his father, he questions why if the father has two jobs, do they have to continue to fish to feed the family for dinner. The father replies that everything in America costs a lot of money.

Together they leave early in the cold morning air. The boy loves his father and is sad that a kid in his school said that his father's English sounded like "a thick, dirty river." The boy notes that his lauguage sounds like gentle rain. The father and son walk together in the dark as the stars in the sky are very bright.

Along the bank, the father holds his son's hand. As the little boy walks with his father, he feels the callouses on his hands. It is just the two of them as the stars are bright in the early morning sky. It is cold and the boy builds a father where they can warm their hands and eat the sandwiches packed for them. As they eat, his father tells of a pond where he fished in Viet Nam. As they fish, his father talks of the war where both fought side by side. Sadly, one day his father's brother does not return. His father rarely talks about the war. The son listens carefully.

They catch a fish and know they will have something to eat for dinner that night. The beauty of this book is found through the eyes of the child who loves his family, wishing they didn't have to work so very hard and the difficulty of making a living in this country where his family looks tired.

As both mother and father leave the house to go to work, they ride their bikes to the destination. The young boy also has a job to take care of his little brother. Feeling proud that he helped catch a fish that will be eaten for dinner that night when they all are together round a table.

There is a lot of respect and knowledge of how hard each member must work together as a team in able to live in this country. There was a different pond in Viet Nam, but now they fish in another pond in this country where they now live jointly.… (más)