My Grandfather's Song

by Phùng Nguyên Quang, Huynh Kim Liên

Overview

A stunning picture book about a family's connection to their land, their home, and each other—from the creators of My First Day.

Long ago, Grandfather came to a new land. Fish swam in the water, birds chirped in the sky, monkeys played in the trees. And in this wilderness, with his own two hands, Grandfather built a house.

It wasn't easy. But the land gave him what he needed. And it became his home. Decades later, his grandson will have all he needs: a head full of memories, two capable hands, and the heart to appreciate family, nature, and home. This picture book creates a warm symphony of conservation and the sacred bond between grandparent and child, perfect for baby showers, birthdays, and family celebrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593488614
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/17/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	662,824
Product dimensions:	10.38(w) x 10.38(h) x 0.41(d)
Lexile:	AD630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Phung Nguyen Quang and Huynh Kim Lien are married book creators who live and work in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Their first book in the United States, My First Day, received five starred reviews and was selected as a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal. Find them at kaaillustration.com or @kaaillustration.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/09/2023

The married creators of My First Day follow their debut, per an authors’ note, with a story created “in tribute to the very first pioneers to the south of Vietnam.” In a lush jungle navigated by boat, Grandfather understands nature not as adversary but through metaphors of harmony and accompaniment. “This is music, and we must learn the song,” Grandfather tells narrating child Ti. Crisp-edged, brilliantly colored spreads focus on broad skies as Grandfather builds a home and begins to cultivate rice. Large animals worked into the art—a tiger, a turtle—personify the landscape’s power, as well as a way to approach it (“Make the song a shell and wrap it around you, hard as a turtle”). The elder’s gentle hand is always there, guiding Ti until the child learns to see nature as Grandfather does, as “an instrument that, with time, gives us rice, fresh water to drink, a harmony of plenty.” It’s a vivid testament to working with, instead of against, the natural world. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

★ "[A] beautiful, surreal tale about learning how to have a respectful relationship with nature, thanks to the wisdom and efforts of one’s ancestors." —School Library Journal, starred review

★ "A mesmerizing and enthralling tribute." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "A vivid testament to working with, instead of against, the natural world." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This gentle story of family and living alongside nature is a shoo-in for an eco-themed storytime, but it’s equally suited to celebrating kids’ relationships with their grandparents." —The Bulletin

"Satisfying and thoughtful....gently suggests the potential benefits humans may reap in rethinking our relationship to the earth, to the climate, to the world." —Shelf Awareness

"Leave[s] readers with a call to action to spark conversations with parents and grandparents and to consider the importance of conservation." —The Horn Book

From the Publisher

★ 09/01/2023

K-Gr 2—In a moving story paired with lush illustrations, Tí travels with Grandfather to a strange new home, where the flora and fauna seem to loom over him, watching his every move. Grandfather eases Tí's nerves by teaching him how to build on the knowledge of the people that came before them to commune with the land—the "song" of the title—and become confident in his role there. The married team behind this picture book, inspired by the mythology of their home, Vietnam, develop a visually rich story that is both a tribute to the past and a call to protect the natural world of the near future. The stunning landscapes on each page are fantastical and immersive: giant monkeys, tigers, and turtles loom in the jungle, while a dragon's face is just barely visible in the dark, swirling clouds of a storm. Readers will feel the windswept grass tickle their feet and hear the ocean waves crash under Grandfather's boat. VERDICT Fans of Aaron Becker and David Wiesner will be drawn to this beautiful, surreal tale about learning how to have a respectful relationship with nature, thanks to the wisdom and efforts of one's ancestors.—Alexandra Quay

School Library Journal

★ 2023-08-26
A grandfather teaches his grandchild nature’s song.

“Listen, do you hear it?” the grandfather asks his grandchild, Tí, as he steers a small boat. The duo have come to a “new land” now known as Vietnam. As the grandfather and the jungle, symbolized by foliage that forms the image of a monkey, greet one another, the grandson observes “a thousand voices at once. A crash of noises.” The child finds it all overwhelming, yet the grandfather explains, “This is music, and we must learn the song.” As the two of them build a fence around their new home, the grandfather calmly explains, “The bamboo we cut is a melody we raise high as a roof.” Tí gradually gains survival skills such as fishing, sailing, and cultivating the land. Every page teems with vivid landscapes and textures, the deft use of light, colors, and lush detail making for dramatic scenes. When Grandfather says, “You do not have to shout down the storm. Find its rhythm; sing with it,” readers will feel the stark cold of a sea storm. The narrative comes full circle, with a now-adult Tí asking a child, “Listen, do you hear it?” In the backmatter, the creators note that their tale pays homage to “the very first pioneers to the South of Vietnam.”

A mesmerizing and enthralling tribute. (note from Make Me a World creative director Christopher Myers) (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews