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Hardback

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English
Minerva
04 June 2024
From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and illustrator Minnie Phan comes an unforgettable story of a Vietnamese American girl whose life is transformed by a wildfire.

A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year 2024 A Kirkus Best Picture-Book Conversation Starter of 2024 A School Library Journal Best Picture Book 2024

From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and illustrator Minnie Phan comes an unforgettable story of a Vietnamese American girl whose life is transformed by a wildfire.

★ School Library Journal, starred review ★ Kirkus Reviews, starred review

When Simone is awakened by her mom as a wildfire threatens their home, it is the beginning of a life-changing journey. On their way to take shelter in a high school gym, the family passes firefighters from a prison unit battling the fire. Simone's mom tells her that when she was a girl in Viet Nam, she was forced to evacuate her home after a flood. Joined by other children sheltering in the gym, Simone, a budding artist, encourages everyone to draw as a way to process their situation. After a few days, Simone and her mom are able to return to their home, which is fortunately still standing, and her outlook has changed. As Simone begins creating a piece of art with one of her new friends, she realizes that even though they are young, they can dream and work together for a more sustainable future. With a poetic, haunting family story by esteemed author Viet Thanh Nguyen and gorgeous art from illustrator Minnie Phan, this powerful tale introduces an unforgettable young heroine who awakens to a new role fighting for her community and for the future of the planet.
By:  
Illustrated by:   Minnie Phan
Imprint:   Minerva
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 254mm,  Width: 203mm,  Spine: 11mm
Weight:   391g
ISBN:   9781662651199
ISBN 10:   1662651198
Pages:   48
Publication Date:  
Recommended Age:   From 4 to 8 years
Audience:   Children/juvenile ,  English as a second language
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Viet Thanh Nguyen is the author of The Sympathizer, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and A Man of Two Faces- A Memoir, A History, A Memorial. His first picture book was Chicken of the Sea, co-written with his son, Ellison Nguyen, and illustrated by Thi Bui and her son, Hien Bui-Stafford. Minnie Phan is an illustrator and writer based in Oakland, CA. Her work has been featured by Google, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the San Francisco Public Library, for which she illustrated a citywide reading campaign in 2022. She is the illustrator of the picture book The Yellow o D i, written by Hanh Bui.

Reviews for Simone

A beautifully produced tale by @viet_t_nguyen & @minnie_phan following #Simone and her family as they flee for their lives when a wildfire takes hold near their home. This hybrid #graphicnovel and #picturebook is sumptuously illustrated and sparsely but carefully narrated. A story of hope and change, and the belief in the next generation to make real changes to look after the work we live in. * @bookgiftblogger * Today’s story is an absolute beauty, and one that will engage older ks2 children in really deep discussion. Simone by @viet_t_nguyen and @minnie_phan published by @minervakidlit is the beautifully heartbreaking story of a girl and her mother who are displaced from their home when wildfires threaten. It’s bad enough, but then Simone learns of her mother’s struggles when having to leave her home in Vietnam. This story sounds like it should be a sad, tragic picture book, but it’s actually really positive and uplifting, and ends with Simone being so thankful for what she does have! This is a wonderful book to begin studying immigration and reasons why people look to move countries. It also allows children to study different natural disasters and the effects it can have on the locals . It’s a beautiful book that has so much, and I think older ks2 children will absolutely love this story. * @the_picture_book_prof * This is a multifaceted picture book centring around the topic of natural disasters and the community response to these. When a wildfire threatens Simone's home she shares with her Má, they are forced to evacuate to a shelter. Throughout their stay there are discussions around the diverse firefighters fighting the fire, including those from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Provoking much needed representation and a point for further conversation on the ethics of using prisoners as firefighters. Má also draws parallels to her own childhood and the floods she experienced in Viet Nam. With a clever use of colour, the book spreads a positive message of a community supporting eachother and the power of a child's art to provide comfort to their peers. * @mini.midnight.reads *


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