The book is written and illustrated by two Americans who as children were, themselves, Vietnamese immigrants.
Now that we are here, should we slam the door so as to prevent foreigners who hope to share in the American dream from following us here? Or should we support further immigration, recognizing the value of the hard-working and talented people whom our country has repeatedly attracted? And today’s kids, as was the case with all of us older immigrants or descendents-of-immigrants, will grow up facing the age-old question: Our people were once the despised people, the subject of suspicion and prejudice from those who were here before we arrived. Unless you are a one-in-a-million full-blooded native American, you are or descend from immigrants. In the process, the young child gains a sense of accomplishment and responsibility.Īmidst today’s stunningly nationalistic and nativistic chapter in American history, A DIFFERENT POND is an essential children’s book. It’s also a story of father/son bonding in their activities away from the family, working together without much talking to help the family survive. The sacrifices they make to survive despite their poverty are part of the story but treated pragmatically and lightly, without sentimentality. It is, more importantly, a snapshot of a hard-working family, with Vietnamese refugee parents scrambling to create a life with their American-born children. The story involves an early morning father-son fishing expedition but the underlying theme is not just about fishing. With quiet, transcendent words and illustrations, the semi-autobiographical A DIFFERENT POND is a masterpiece of a picture book. ‘Sure,’ my dad whispers and hands me the tackle box.” Dad has been up for a while, making sandwiches and packing the car. It will be hours before the sun comes up. “Dad wakes me quietly so Mom can keep sleeping.
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