Wishes

 Wishes tells the powerful, honest story about one Vietnamese family's search for a new home on the other side of the world, and the long-lasting and powerful impact that makes on the littlest member of the family.

Inspired by actual events in the author's life, this is a narrative that is both timely and timeless. Told through the eyes of a young girl, the story chronicles a family's difficult and powerful journey to pack up what they can carry and to leave their world behind, traveling to a new and unknown place in a crowded boat. With sparse, poetic, and lyrical text from acclaimed author Muon Van, thoughtful backmatter about the author’s connection to the story, and luminous, stunning illustrations from Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Victo Ngai, Wishes tells a powerful and timely story in a gentle and approachable way for young children.

With themes of kindness, bravery, hope, and love running throughout, Wishes is a must-have book for every child’s bookshelf.

From her New York Times acclaimed debut, In a Village by the Sea, illustrated by April Chu, Mượn's books have received many distinctions, including a Northern California Book Award, a Golden Kite Award, a New York Public Library Best Book, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and an Irma Black Honor Award.

When she's not writing, Mượn likes to roam the forests of California with her family.

Victo Ngai is a Forbes 30 Under 30 (Art and Style) honoree and Society of Illustrators New York Gold Medalist. She provides illustrations for newspaper and magazines such as the New York Times and the New Yorker; creates storyboards and art for animations with studios like NBC and Dreamworks; and makes books for publishers such as Scholastic, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster. She lives in Los Angeles. Visit Victo at victo-ngai.com.

Mượn Thị Văn loves to read books of all shapes and sizes. She first began reading yellow-spined hardbacks about a certain girl detective before graduating to longer novels and then picture books (it's true, she doesn't remember reading picture books as a young child). So few books reflected her formative experiences, though, that she desired to bring new and different stories into the world.

g immigrant narrative. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

* This story of escape makes refugees' experiences more lucid and will summon deep feeling from readers. --Booklist, starred review

* A superb, beautifully moving collaboration of text and illustration. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* This rich and nuanced tale illuminates the closely held wishes of refugees the world over. It's unforgettable. -- BookPage, starred review

The personal story combined with the pitch perfect storytelling and jaw-dropping art means that this book is special. Its story may be set in the past, but its message cannot age or decay. Find a child, read it to them, and count yourselves lucky that both they and you have been allowed to experience this story together. -- Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal's A Fuse #8 Production

A poignant, poetic ode...hopeful and moving picture book. --Parents Magazine

Beautifully illustrated, a book like WISHES gives your deepest sorrows, biggest fears, and dearest hopes a magic container, one you can slide across the table or open together in bed, and let it speak volumes for you in just a few words. -- Thi Bui, author of National Book Award winner The Best We Could Doand illustrator of Caldecott Honor winner A Different Pond