A Different Pond by Bao Phi

1. Bibliography:

Phi, Bao. A Different Pond. Ill Thi Bui. Capstone Young Readers. Minnesota. 2017. ISBN: 9781479597468

2. Plot Summary:

Early one morning a father wakes his son to go fishing. As they spend time fishing, the father talks about the other pond in Vietnam that he once fished at. After they catch a fish the father leaves to go to his second job. Later that evening they whole family enjoys a meal from the catch they made that day.

3. Characters:

The boy tells this story in first person and uses similes to describe his father, “but to me his English sounds like gentle rain”. This helps develop his characters as a gentle soul.

The father is a static character that shows who his real character is throughout the story. He is also written as a stereotyped character with his broken English, and hardworking mentality by working two jobs to support his family.

4. Setting:

The setting is in two main places the pond and the home. The author describes the cultural diversity by having the boy and the father fish for their food, and adding a flashback of what the father did back in his country. The home show that family togetherness is important. When all of the family sits around and eats the fish with rice, and jar of fish sauce. The jar of dish sauces is described with flecks of chili pepper and carrots. This sauce is a type of food found within this culture. The illustrations also support the diverse culture in the style of clothing the characters wear. The long-striped pants and tennis shoes are a stereotype of this culture.

5. Illustrations:

The illustrations are mainly found in a graphic novel format. Smaller illustrations have a black line bordering around it to create this graphic feel.  Each illustration is water colored that represents the diverse culture. The illustrator shows this by the specific clothing, and the straight black hair. The particular style fish is a symbol that is found in this traditional culture.

6. Theme:

The theme is family relationships. The author does a beautiful job describing the dynamics of the father and son, son and siblings in the book. The author shows that the other children must watch the baby brother, which is the little boy.

7. Cultural marker:

The author is focused into not put negative stereotypes in the story. He shows that this family is a hard-working family that has several jobs to make ends meet. The genuineness of the diversity is shown with the way things were done in Vietnam and that is now done in America. Fishing is the prime example of this cultural setting. The facts about the culture is correct that they work hard, and are family focused. At the end of the story mom and dad come home from work, the siblings come to the table, and enjoy the fish they caught earlier that day. There is only an acknowledgment and notes from the author and illustrator. These do provide information to qualify them in writing and illustrating about this culture. They are both Vietnamese and have other work. The author wrote this story about his time with his father. The minority characters are treated equally in this story. They are shown to have several jobs to meet the needs of their family. There are no non-English words. They author does write in similes to describe characters, and places. These enhance the mental picture he is trying to give. This book is of high quality.  Any culture can relate to spending time with a parent, or their family.

8. Connections Teacher and Library Corner:

The teacher will read aloud the book. Students will then get into groups of 2-4 and talk about events in the book. They will compare and contrast the father and the little boy. Then each student will put major events into chronological order, and use a Venn Diagram to compare the father and the little boy.

9. You Tube:

Here is a book trailer promoting the books.

10. Review Excerpts:

“Graphic novel panels and strong figures give the pages the air of a documentary as Phi celebrates an unexpected superhero: a father who endures a strange new culture, works to support his family, cherishes time with his son, and draws no attention to the sacrifices he's made.” Publishers Weekly 

“Phi's bittersweet story of the resourcefulness of an immigrant family is lovingly illustrated in Bui's evocative artwork . . . This wistful, beautifully illustrated story will resonate not only with immigrant families but any family that has faced struggle.” Booklist 

“A fishing trip is not just a fishing trip in this poignant, semi-autobiographical tale . . . Together, Phi's gentle, melodic prose and Bui's evocative art, presented in brushy and vividly colored panels and double-page spreads, rise above the melancholy to tell a powerful, multilayered story about family, memory, and the costs of becoming a refugee. Spare and simple, a must-read for our times.” Kirkus Review

11. Children’s Reviews:

“A boy and his dad get up early to go fishing at a pond. They set up a little camp, and made a fire. They caught a big fish and brought it home and ate it. It shows a bonding at the bond as the story continues it shows they were already close and good friends. It kind of reminds me of me and my dad.” Chase age 12

12. Awards and Recognitions:

2018 Caldecott Honor Book

13. Book Suggestions by Bao Phi

Song I Sing ISBN: 9781566892797

Other books:

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi ISBN: 9780440417996

My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits ISBN: 9781250057112

14. Official Website:

See where Boa Phi is going next to read his book on his official website.

15. Rating:

I give this book a 4. I really liked the book. It was a simple book, but I was left wanting something more from the bonding time with the son and father.