Thao Lam

"How does it feel to turn a year older? A child runs through a gamut of emotions on the best day of the year, their birthday!"--

"Critically acclaimed author/illustrator Thao Lam is back with a wordless story about conflict. A monster meanders down a beach, dragging a stick behind them and leaving a line in the sand. Meanwhile, a group of friends is at play -- flying kites, building sandcastles, tossing a ball -- until two of them become curious about the line that now seemingly divides them. What does the line mean? Tensions mount as the two look down. Should the line be crossed?...

"Thao Lam's family came to Canada as refugees during the Vietnam War. When Thao started thinking about how to tell this story, she couldn't stop thinking about ants: small, seemingly insignificant creatures who are able to travel amazingly long distances overwater, work hard, and thrive on almost every continent on the planet. Boat People starts with a story inspired by Thao's mother's life: a young girl watches as a bowl of sugar water is put out...

"A funny, eye-opening story about the challenges of growing up with an unfamiliar name and learning to be true to yourself ... Even though it's only four simple, familiar letters long, nobody can ever pronounce Thao's name. She's been called Theo, Tail, even Towel! But the teasing names--Tofu, Tiny, China Girl--are worse. Maybe it's time to be someone else? Thao decides to try on a different name, something easy, like Jennifer"--