21FA-LS-5653 - Inclusive Literature: My Footprints by Bao Phi

 
"Momma Ngoc and Momma Arti smile at Thuy when she gets home. Thuy knows they are both tired from work, but their smiles feel like a heater that warms Thuy's snow-wet toes." 

Bibliography:
Phi, Bao. 2019. My Footprints. Illustrated by Basia Tran. Minnesota: Capstone Editions. ISBN: 9781684461202.

Plot Summary:
After being teased by classmates at school, Thuy stomps home on a snowy winter day. Along the way home, she imitates various animals by mimicking their footprints in the snow to find courage from the kids laughing at her. Thuy creates Vs into the snow with her footprints and flaps her wings like a red cardinal to fly away. She tiptoes tiny prints into the snow resembling dainty deer hooves to find peace. She imagines blending into her surroundings like a spotted leopard to fight off threats. As soon as she arrives home, she doesn't want to talk about what happened at the end of school. Thuy's two moms are very understanding and comfort her by pretending that they are different animals and mythological creatures. Together the family makes footprints in the snow helping Thuy find her inner strength. 

Critical Analysis:
My Footprints by Bao Phi and illustrated by Basia Tran is a genuine contemporary story about a young Vietnamese American girl who finds comfort and strength from her parents. The story perfectly illustrates a loving LGBTQ/ rainbow multicultural family depicting two moms supporting their daughter. Tran's illustrations emphasize authentic Vietnamese characters and multicultural mythologies. The beautiful pencil artwork is detailed and provides vivid imagery, capturing Thuy's long straight black hair and the contrasting red cardinal against the white snow. Children will especially love seeing the East Asian and Hindu mythological creatures that Tran creates towards the end of the story. She also effectively portrays Vietnamese Americans in authentic representation and avoids stereotypical artwork (like the slanted eye). 

Furthermore, children have the opportunity to learn how to correctly pronounce the characters' names and a couple of words in the book because Bao Phi provides a pronunciation guide for easy reading and comprehension.  Readers will learn that Thuy is pronounced Twee, Arti is AR-tee, Ngoc is Ynyow, Phoenix is FEE-nix, and Sarabha is sa-ra-BA. Bao Phi and Basia Tran also equally blend Thuy's rainbow family. The moms in the story are represented as genuine caring parents who work together to help Thuy's issues of bullies. For example, "As she shuffles away, leaving tracks like a snake slithering through the snow, she hears her mommas talking. Momma Arti's voice sounds frayed but warm, like Thuy's favorite blanket." In this part of the story, Thuy expresses that she doesn't want to talk about being bullied at school. She hears the realistic concern in their voices as they talk about her wellbeing. Later, Momma Arti and Momma Ngoc ask Thuy to play, expressing real accounts of LGBTQ families working through an issue together.

Overall, My Footprints by Bao Phi carefully balances culture and LGBTQIA representation emphasized by realistic artwork from Basia Tran. All readers will find this inclusive book an authentic depiction of a young Vietnamese American girl finding the strength and courage to stand up to bullies who tease her rainbow family. Parents will love that the moms in this story are accurate LGBTQ mothers who show realistic concerns for their daughter and encourage her to use her imagination to cope with complex issues, such as creating mythical creatures in the snow. "An unexpected combination of beautiful things," I recommend this picture book for all library collections. 

Awards & Reviews:
  • 2019 Little Free Library Action Book Club Selection
  • 2019 Kirkus Reviews 30 Most Anticipated Picture Books for Fall
  • 2019 PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center Book Club
From Kirkus Reviews, "Both a meaningful effort toward inclusion and a solid conversation starter about bullying."

From School Library Journal, "A timeless and important book that deals with the fallout of bullying and the power of a child's imagination to overcome with the strength and support of a loving family."

Connections:
Discussion: Some children in rainbow families may experience bullying like Thuy does in the story. Invite children to share different ways they can stop and prevent bullying. For example, encourage them to openly talk about issues they have experienced in the past and what they did, or could have done, to overcome that problem. 

Activity: If you live in an area that snows, invite children outside to mimic their favorite animal's footsteps in the winter weather. If you don't live in a snowy area, encourage children to try other mediums to imagine what their favorite animal's footsteps look like, such as drawing on paper, playing outside in leaves, or using nature's resources to create. For instance, can they make a footprint out of a collection of acorns or pebbles? 

Suggest the following picture books to patrons seeking more LGBTQIA/ rainbow family representation:
  • Bey-Clarke, Monica and Cheril N. Clarke. 2011. Keesha & Her Two Moms Go Swimming. Illustrated by Aiswarya Mukherjee. ISBN:  9780976727354
  • Newman, Lesléa. 2009. Mommy, Mama, and Me. Illustrated by Carol Thompson. ISBN: 9781582462639
  • Pitman, Gayle E. 2014. This Day in June. Illustrated by Kristyna Litten. ISBN: 9781433816581
  • González, Rigoberto. 2005. Antonio's Card/La tarjeta de Antonio. Illustrated by Cecilia Concepción Álvarez. ISBN: 9780892392049
  • Schiffer, Miriam B. 2015. Stella Brings the Family. Illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown. ISBN: 9781452111902