My Footprints

by Bao Phi and Basia Tran

After facing school bullies, Thuy sees her footprints in the snow on the way home... read more

After facing school bullies, Thuy sees her footprints in the snow on the way home as those of various animals in a story about the healing power of imaginative play. Once home, Thuy is reluctant to talk about what happened at school when her two moms ask her about the day, but her moms join in on Thuy’s footprint “game,” their questions and interaction gently probing even as they give their daughter space to process and act out her anger and hurt. Bao Phi’s exquisite writing captures Thuy’s rollercoaster of emotions. Basia Tran’s illustrations are tinged in ice blue, giving a sense of cold and snow, and her varying perspectives offer vistas of Thuy’s footprints, as well as what’s happening in her imagination. Together the words and picture tell a singular story, but one that many children will identify with, while leaving room to think about and interpret what is happening. Thuy and one of her moms, Momma Ngoc, are Vietnamese; Momma Arti is South Asian. (Ages 4–8)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2020

show less

11 Total Resources 3 Awards View Text Complexity Discover Like Books