★ 06/12/2017
Phi, a poet whose parents were Vietnamese refugees, draws from childhood memories in this story about fishing with his father before sunrise on the lakes of Minneapolis. They didn’t do it for fun; it was a way to put food on the table. “Everything in America costs a lot of money,” his father tells him. Sometimes, they run into fishermen from other marginalized communities: a Hmong man “speaks English like my dad and likes to tell funny jokes,” and a black man “shows me his colorful lure collection.” Though the morning is an adventure for the boy, it’s the start of a long day for his father, who heads to work afterward (as does the boy’s mother). Bui (The Best We Could Do) uses confident ink lines and watery washes of deep blue to evoke the predawn setting and tender familial relationship. 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. Ages 6–8. (Aug.)A quote in this review has been updated to reflect text that has been changed in the book.

Socially relevant, artistic, and lyrical, this book belongs on everyone’s bookshelf. A Different Pond is a story that needs to be told and both writer and illustrator render it with specificity and depth. This is an immigrant story like none I have read before and I am so glad books like this are available for young people.

...One of my favorite picture books of the last couple years because of its wonderful layers. Not only does it serve as a window into a Vietnamese American experiencefor me, it also serves as a window for the young protagonist in the story, as he wonders about his father’s life back in Vietnam.

Phi tells the story of an early morning fishing trip with his father in Minnesota, interwoven with subtle tells of the difficulty of their working-class refugee life, the trauma of war, and the warmth of family bonds. . . .Thi Bui’s illustrations bring the warmth and tenderness of Phi’s childhood memories to life. Together, the words and pictures combine to create a window to this young boy’s world, creating the possibility for empathy, understanding and care...

The book shows the interconnection of family and the inexorable way that generational history impacts the present.

It’s a gift to witness Bao Phi’s storytelling spread from spoken word to children’s books in this beautifully told and illustrated story. . . .It touches a wealth of experiences—immigrant, refugee, Asian Pacific American, and the realities of the working poor. If the book doesn’t directly reference you or your family’s lived experience, it will strengthen your Solidarity Heart.

A strong, quiet story about love, family connection, and the way community is built on small shared moments. Bao Phi’s clear prose tells a story where perhaps not much seems to happen, but in which the whole world is illuminated for a child by his father. Thi Bui’s illustrations bring the reader into the life of a boy, a family, and the community where they live.

A Different Pond raises awareness of the financial struggles some refugees face. . . .We see throughout the pages how hard the family works to live in America. We also see how much they love each other. Readers will feel compassion for refugees after reading this remarkable book.

As deep and quietly moving as a fishing pond, Bao Phi’s tribute to family, parental sacrifice, and the profound understanding of children wrenches your heart with its beautiful and honest language and touching details. Phi uses the fishing trip—which at first seems to be simply a fun outing for father and son, but is in fact an act of survival—to relate one family’s relationship with their adopted country while also delving into the universal bond between children and parents or other adults. . . .A Different Pond is an exquisite story with wisdom and insight that will impact readers during quiet story times at home and in the classroom. The book would be a warm and welcome addition to home, school, and public library bookshelves.

...one of the best picture books of 2017, period. This collaboration between graphic novelist Thi Bui and poet Bao Phi is the moving, heart-tugging work you’d expect. Through the experience of an early morning father-son fishing trip, this book beautifully depicts the difficulties many immigrant families experience.

The early scenes of father and son together under inky-blue skies studded with stars inspire awe. The lovingly drawn details of simple, crowded rooms call forth the warmth of home and family. You don’t quite realize that author and illustrator are building to a real conclusion, one of the many delights of this powerful immigration story.

Despite the tinge of sadness, this tale (based on the author’s family experiences) is quietly uplifting. The family struggles, but it manages, and the shadowy predawn peace infuses the father/son relationship with contentment. The young audience will appreciate Bui’s visual transformation of a gritty urban waterside into a scene of moonlit adventure, but older children of a more thoughtful bent will also discern that many people are awake in the dark on a mission to get by. . . .In his author’s note, Phi offers background on his father and their fishing trips “for food, not for sport,” which he admits to appreciating more as an adult than he did as a child. That’s something worth talking about.

Told through the perspective of a child character, A Different Pond echoes aspects of Vietnamese immigrant experience portrayed in The Best We Could Do in a way that’s accessible for a young audience. And most important for a picturebook: Bui’s detailed illustrations are captivating, conveying a distinct sense of time and place and capturing the quiet poignancy of Phi’s prose.

A Vietnamese American boy’s predawn fishing outing with his dad is the subject of a narrative shaped by an exquisite accounting of details. So much beyond the action is conveyed through beautifully weighted sentences. . . .The evocative art masterfully and movingly conveys details of character, setting, and action while superbly reflecting the warmth and intimacy of the story.

A Different Pond” is written to be read by school-aged children, but can and should be enjoyed by adults as well. The discussion that will most likely follow is an important one that could lead to some big questions. That is, in large part, the beauty of what makes “A Different Pond” more than just another kid’s book. Both Phi and Bui should be applauded for their successful efforts in tackling an important and sensitive subject in a way that breeds a deeper understanding of an often overlooked struggle.

When I was a young kid in school, I would’ve loved to have read a story about other Vietnamese people. To be honest, I would’ve loved to have read anything remotely close to representing any Asian American experience. . . .Far too often, we neglect to tell the stories of the people who make up our schools and communities. When we do that, we are sending the message that you are not as important as others, that you live in the margins of the mainstream…that your story is not worth being told. After reading A Different Pond, it took me a while to process what this story meant to me as a reader, a Vietnamese American reader. I connected with the characters in ways that I’m not sure I can explain.

The beauty's in the subtle, evocative detail. This is a moving father-son story as well as an immigrant/refugee story, and a shining example of picture books at their best. . . .This tale is so artfully rendered in text and art, readers will be very glad they came along on this intimate family fishing trip.

Simple yet profound, A Different Pond, by poet Bao Phi, shares the quiet strength of a Vietnamese family struggling to put food on the table, in a tale inspired by his own childhood experiences as a refugee in the mid-1970s. The night sky sparkles as the sun gradually rises in Thi Bui’s expressive illustrations as a father shares a quiet moment with his young son, fishing under a city bridge while the town sleeps.

What impresses me most about reading Bao Phi’s A Different Pond is the intertwining of important values of Vietnamese culture throughout the pages:  family, faith, food, hope, and belief. The bonding between father-son is incredible and inspiring. The young boy feels trusted, important, smart, strong, capable, and loved. His father has shaped who he will become later in life and to always DREAM BIG. . . .A “Picture Perfect” and welcome addition to any refugee families and beyond.

...it gives quiet dignity to poverty experienced by new immigrants. . . .The illustrations impart a sense of tranquility with a minimalist color scheme. The expressions on the faces of the characters also tell the story of finding moments of happiness and joy in small moments despite hardship and poverty. In the final pages, the family quietly appreciates precious moments of time spent together, and this can summarize the Asian refugee experience: hard work, family, and gratitude.

Top 10 Diverse Picture Book. This wistful, beautifully illustrated story describes how a Vietnamese American man and his young son head out before dawn to fish for their supper in a nearby lake.

Nationally recognized spoken word poet and community activist Bao Phi, together with graphic novelist Thi Bui, recalls a story about waking up early to go fishing with his father at a small pond in Minneapolis before his father went to work. Unlike other fishermen, however, they were fishing to feed their family, not for fun. While fishing, Phi's father told him about another pond that he knew — one in Vietnam.

STARRED REVIEW! Hours before sunrise, a father and son go fishing for that night’s meal. So begins this powerfully understated picture book, which shifts the focus of the refugee narrative from the harrowing journey to the reality awaiting the family members once they reach their destination (in this case, the United States). With evocative detail and a keen ear for metaphor...Phi hints at the family’s joys and struggles. . . .The father and son return home that morning with a fish but, more importantly, a fond memory that will help make this new country feel like home. The ponds may be different here, but the water reflects life just the same.

...Bao Phi delivers the story of an immigrant family that honors its past while navigating a new home.

When a boy and his father rise before dawn to fish for dinner, the father spends the time reminiscing about fishing as a child in Vietnam. This is another gorgeous narrative for comprehension strategy instruction that is also a great writing mentor text.

What an exquisite book about immigrant family life, aching through lovingly rendered details. From the peeling labels on the reused Miracle Whip jars, to the Spanish/English signs on the 24-hour bait shop, to the young boy who asks why his father must work two jobs – this is a picture book unlike most others I’ve ever seen. . . .From poet Bao Phi’s lovely descriptions of minnows that swim “like silver arrows” to Thi Bui’s gorgeous, emotive illustrations in muted blues and greens, this is a quietly powerful book that will resonate across and beyond immigrant and refugee families.

Solemn and truthful, A Different Pond gives us one day through which to view the life of a refugee family working to thrive in a new country. On an artistic level, A Different Pond is a collaborative success. Based on his own childhood experience, author Bao Phi narrates as a child would, with straightforward language, enhanced with moments of poetic description. . . .Graphic artist Thi Bui...tells a compelling story in the faces of her characters. Bui’s renderings are colorful but low-key, giving a sense of calm, of well-worn habits, of family sharing. . . .Bui and Phi’s book would fit perfectly into school units on multiculturalism and the refugee experience. We all have stories of difficulty and obstacles; A Different Pond is a profound reminder of what we do every day to lift our families up and how we tell—and cherish—those stories.

Bao Phi’s memories of getting up in the dark to go fishing with his dad earned starred reviews from every major literary journal. A native of Vietnam, Bao Phi began this book as a poem and was urged by fellow members of the local children’s lit community to turn it into a book. . . .Lovely prose, lovely pictures.

A Vietnamese American boy’s predawn fishing outing with his dad is the subject of a narrative shaped by an exquisite accounting of details. So much beyond the action is conveyed through beautifully weighted sentences. . . .The evocative art masterfully and movingly reveals details of character, setting, and action while superbly reflecting the warmth and intimacy of the story.

STARRED REVIEW! A Different Pond isn't a story in the traditional sense—there's no wedge-like event to disrupt the narrative's flow. But conflicts that happened offscreen shape the narrative into one family's story. . . .Bao Phi, a poet, gives the narrator's words an occasional lyricism. . . .Playing off the writing's grace is Thi Bui's art, in which characters tend to be rendered more simply than their painterly backgrounds.

Strong similes and poignant details reveal the warmth shared by a father and son on a cold early morning fishing adventure. The first-person narrative describes the family’s impoverishment, the father’s peaceful fishing in “another pond” and his refugee flight from Vietnam.

A beautiful and powerful story about family, culture, sacrifice, memories of home, and life as a refugee. Phi's smooth prose and Bui's evocative illustrations combine to tell the story of a simple but profound fishing trip between father and son that carries with it so many of the hopes, dreams, and challenges of the immigrant experience.

Like much of Phi’s poetry, this book is simultaneous, multiple, about class and race and family, thick with love and loud in its subtleties, themselves a significant piece of the collaborative work of author and illustrator. . . .As Phi explained, while on the surface A Different Pond presents as a simple parent-child narrative, it is, at heart, a refugee tale.

The illustrations tenderly convey the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the young boy as he spends this special time with his father.

Minneapolis writer Bao Phi is a poet, and this lovely book — told through the eyes of the little boy — employs the same economy of language and vivid imagery as any fine poem. Themes of immigration, hard work, racism and the uniting power of nature are touched on lightly and naturally. Thi Bui’s nighttime illustrations glow.

A moving read. . . .It’s easy to tell Phi is a poet from his beautiful and powerful prose. He intricately weaves together the past and present while telling important and poignant stories.

I’m not usually all about the cover, but when I saw this cover, I stopped looking at all the other books near it and swooped in to check it out. It’s not your average picture book cover, right? Has more a feel of a graphic novel cover, maybe? It’s certainly unusual, and the cover is no bait-and-switch: that quality of freshness and originality continues after you open the book and begin to read.

The illustrations and prose help us feel the stillness of the early morning hours and the strong bond between father and son. . . .This moving autobiographical picture book of an immigrant family gives us much to appreciate and ponder.

The story is quiet and gentle. . . .In the author’s note, Phi, whose family came to Minnesota as refugees from Vietnam, says he has written the story to honor the struggles of his parents, and to acknowledge the history which was a part of their lives. . . .These books encourage us to reflect on a difficult and divisive part of our recent national history. They also encourage us to think about recent immigrants in a time when their presence in the United States is part of a national debate.

Caldecott Honor Prediction What do you think of when you think of a pre-dawn fishing trip? Darkness. Quiet. The world slowly coming alive with color. Thi Bui captures all of this in her illustrations for A Different Pond. Bold brushstrokes echo the weight of this family story, as color builds to toward the conclusion.

A seemingly simple tale about a boy getting up before dawn to go fishing with his father is gradually enriched by a wealth of small textual and visual details that vividly evoke the lived experience of growing up poor as the child of Vietnamese refugees. . . .What’s most impressive is how delicate a balance the story strikes. The painful necessity of a workday that begins before dawn, of what it takes to put food on the table, coexists with moments of adventure, peace, and intimacy between father and son.

Telling turns of phrase appear with every page turn. The father’s broken English “sounds like a gentle rain,” and “his broken teeth shine white in the dark.” Also lyrical are paintings, deep blue under a starlit sky. Insets add lovely detail that conjure up memories, struggle and dreams. Focused on just one day, this poignant story makes a powerful statement about what it’s like to be a refugee, an immigrant, a new American.

A Different Pond is author Bao Phi's dedication to his childhood and the part his parents played in seeking safety and providing for their family of eight. In 1975, when he was just a baby, Phi's family migrated from Vietnam to Minnesota as refugees from war. A Different Pond honors Phi's Vietnamese heritage and the memories his family brought across the sea with them and preserved for generations to come. Illustrator Thi Bui was also born in Vietnam and raised in America. Through her artwork, she captures snippets of what life looked like for so many Vietnamese American immigrants. This book reads well for grade-schoolers of all ages. It provides intimate insight into both the sacrifices made by the protagonist's parents and the bond with his family and the family culture within his home.

This Caldecott Award winner is a masterful, quiet testament to the immigrant experience by way of a boy’s journey to a fishing pond with his father at dawn. Part of what makes this book so special and unique is the specificity of the descriptions of Vietnamese American life—as well as the evocative illustrations that capture so vividly that sense of hope and grief, intermingled. We see the ways that past and present forces coalesce and collide through a tender father-son relationship in a story that doesn’t shy from difficult emotions, but approaches them gently enough for young readers to understand.

★ 08/01/2017
K-Gr 2—This gorgeous tale about a father/son fishing trip shows the interconnectedness of family and the inexorable way that generational history impacts the present. The story is told from the boy's perspective, as his father wakes him long before dawn to go fishing. Although the child enjoys the outing as a special adventure with his dad, they are fishing for food, not sport, and they must be home in time for the father to leave for work. The quiet time together provides opportunities for the man to talk about his past life fishing with his brother in a different pond in Vietnam, long ago before the war and before coming to America. After they return home, triumphant, with a bucket of fish, the boy contemplates his role as the youngest in the family—no longer a baby—and even though he is sad that both his parents have to work, he knows there will be a happy, love-filled family dinner later that night. Bui's cinematic illustrations make use of panels and weighted lines, evoking the perfect background or facial expression for each piece of text. The text placement and composition of the illustrations allow each occurrence or observation to be its own distinct event, stringing together the small, discrete moments that make up a life, a memory, and a history into a cohesive whole. VERDICT This gentle coming-of-age story is filled with loving, important aspects of the immigrant experience and is a first purchase for all libraries.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN

Music, sound effects, and poet Bao Phi’s soothing voice transport the listener to a boy's early morning fishing trip with his father. The audible smiles in Phi’s tone and the evocative way he says “slimy” bring joy to a story that also describes poverty and xenophobia. For the boy's family, fishing means food on the table, not sport, and his parents work all day, even on Saturday. The father's past in war-torn Vietnam also comes through the edges of the tale. Sweet music helps maintain the glimmer of childlike wonder that overlays the somber elements. After the story, background information on Bao Phi and the picture book's illustrator, Thi Bui, explains how their childhoods as Vietnamese immigrants in America inspired the book. S.T.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2022 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

★ 2017-05-24
A fishing trip is not just a fishing trip in this poignant, semiautobiographical tale. As a young boy growing up in a Vietnamese refugee family in Minneapolis, Phi would wake up "hours before the sun comes up" to go fishing with his dad. Right from the start, he hints at his family's dire straits: "In the kitchen the bare bulb is burning." Readers learn they are up so early because his dad got a second job. And Phi asks innocently, "If you got another job, why do we still have to fish for food?" At the pond, father and son share moments of tenderness. A nod here—when Phi lights a fire with one strike of a match; a warning there—to avoid "the spicy stuff" in his bologna sandwich. Father and son also bond through stories. "I used to fish by a pond like this one when I was a boy in Vietnam," says Dad. "With your brother?" Phi asks. Dad nods and looks away, a clue to the unspeakable devastation of the war. When they catch enough fish for dinner they head home, Phi dreaming about the landscape of Dad's home country. 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. (Picture book. 5-9)