The Endless Sea

January 1, 2025
Members of a family leave their country behind in search of a new home. Although the young narrator was born after the end of a long war, the family still leads an uneasy existence. They face ramifications for having been on the losing side: "Every day felt like it could be our last," the protagonist confides. And so, Mum sells the family's possessions for gold and negotiates for passage out, and they make the dangerous trek under the cover of darkness to a tiny boat. Rations are limited, heavy rains create tumultuous waves, and a mechanical failure occurs. But hope lies ahead. Drawing from her own experiences as a young child fleeing Vietnam with her family, Thai recounts an affecting story of the impact of war and displacement. Lingering trauma and guilt surface at times, but the book closes on a note of hope and gratitude as the family sits down to a New Year's meal. Though much has changed, the narrative comes full circle to emphasize what has remained the same: the family's love. Taking on dramatic angles and making expert use of visual metaphor, Dao's expressive artwork captures the family's complex emotions. While the story is rooted in the Vietnamese diaspora of the 1970s and 1980s, it's a tale that will resonate with many; as Thai explains in her author's note, hers was one of millions, and the number of refugees and displaced people has only grown substantially since. A poignant reflection on one refugee's experience.(Picture book. 4-8)

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February 1, 2025
Preschool-Grade 3 Spare text and expressive watercolor-like illustrations tell the gentle story of a family's harrowing journey from their homeland to take refuge overseas in a new country. An unnamed child recounts their family's struggles after "being on the losing side of war." After selling all of their belongings for gold and a way out, the family boards a crowded wooden boat, upon which they run out of food and water and cannot sleep. The family and the other people on the boat nearly sink and drown before a large ship saves them, carrying them to a new city. A note at the end reveals the story is based on the real-life experience of the author, who, at the age of three, left Vietnam with her family to take refuge in the UK after the war. Hundreds of thousands of boat people died at sea trying to escape. They risked their lives hoping for a better life like so many refugees today, who, as the author urges, need our compassion. A poignant tale of resilience and hope in the aftermath of war and losing one's homeland.

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