I really loved this book. The artwork was gorgeous and I feel like this book has such a great story. I loved it.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciate the message of being different and trying to be strong despite those differences. I like the pictures, the cover really drew me in.

Thuy is being bullied at school for being different.She appears to be Asian and had two moms. As she stomps home from school she chants "My Footprints!" She tries on various animals she either sees, or remembers seeing and mimicks their footprints. Once home, her moms, seeing she's upset, join her to find why she's upset. They make footprints of various strong creatures and finally create their own making Thuy happy and giving her strength. Nice tale to discuss discrimination and bullying. Illustrations are really nice!

A powerful picture book from an author / illustrator to watch. This is one I will for sure be recommending, especially to teachers looking for books on bullying topic, and LGBT representation.

This book is a very good example of the importance of imagination for children. Thuy has had to deal with bullying at school and finds creative ways to deal with it while stomping through the snow to get home to her mothers. The family also plays an important part in the book as Thuy and her mothers imagine different creatures they might be and then imagine a creature as a family. I also especially liked that the author noted his positionality, talking about how though he wasn't writing about groups he was a part of, and how he drew from sources he knew and how much he appreciated their help in creating a story that felt authentic.

I read this so long ago, but I can still remember how much I liked this whole reading it. While my memory isn’t amazing I can definitely recall my emotions as I read this.

I’ve been a victim of bullying and this book really hit home with me. Because at one point I also wanted to be big and strong and scary enough that it would prevent others from coming near me or messing with me. It can definitely leave a scar to experience this so young. You become insecure with yourself. And begin to wonder if maybe somethings wrong with you.

The illustrations were amazing and i absolutely recommend this!

I’ve read this book so many times that I’ve lost count but each time I’ve tried to write my review I haven’t known what I wanted to say about it.

Thuy has been bullied at school again. She is angry and upset, but on her way home she notices her “jagged footprints”.

When she sees a lone bird, she imagines what it would be like to be able to fly away from danger and recreates its footprints in the snow. She continues to imagine other animals and makes their footprints her own as she arrives home.

“I want to be the biggest and strongest and scariest monster,” Thuy says, “so that if kids at school make fun of me for having two moms, or tell me to go back to where I come from, or call me names, or bother me because I’m a girl, I can make them stop!”

Together Momma Arti, Momma Ngoc and Thuy talk about which animals are strong and which are their favourites. Then Thuy imagines the best animal of all.

I loved Basia Tran’s illustrations, particularly Thuy’s Arti-Thuy-Ngoc-osaurus. This imagined creature has footprints shaped like hearts, which I absolutely adored.

While I don’t think I would have appreciated this book as a child, adult me loves its messages. Thuy’s story tackles the impacts of bullying but also highlights the importance of having a supportive family. She is learning about courage and perseverance, and the power of her imagination, and I love her and her family more with each reread.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book.

This story is about Thuy who is being bullied by kids at school. On her way home, she notices her footprints in the snow and starts thinking about different animals. When she gets home, she is angry that the kids are being mean to her and her moms help her come up with some excellent strategies to help. This is an excellent story about resilience and appreciation for family and culture and how new cultures and families are being created all the time.

I would love to thank Bao Phi, Capstone and NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This little book has such a big place in my heart! It's about this little girl called Thuy. She has been bullied by children from school because she has two mothers, so after she encounters a beautiful red bird she tries creating the bird's footsteps, thinking about how it would have been if she herself was a bird.

Going home to her mothers, all three of them start creating footsteps of mythological creatures together and they end up very happy.

This book was too small, but the story and characters so powerful! I felt like I was there with them. I recommend this book to everyone who still tries to find themselves, but also to everyone else that simply enjoy a great graphic novel.
P.S. The illustrations were amazing!

4.5 stars.

My Footprints is a beautiful little story about a little girl who is bullied at her school partly because she has two moms. On her way home she imagines the different kinds of animals she could be and when she arrives home, her two mommas help her come up with an extraordinary creature that brings all three together to become stronger.

Thuy is a biracial child with two moms who feels "double different". Walking home one winter afternoon, she tries to ignore the bullies who go at her, but she's frustrated - and then she sees a bird, which takes her away from the bullies and into the air, soaring like the bird; from there, she wonders about taking on characteristics of other animals: sprinting like a deer; roaring like a bear; anything that can help her channel her frustration. She arrives home to her moms, Momma Ngoc and Momma Arti, and talks with them as the three walk together, creating all sorts of footprints: a phoenix, a Sarabha from Hindu mythology, even a new creature that leaves heart-shaped footprints in the snow, as Thuy walks between her mothers.

This is a quietly captivating book about imagination and family; about taking power away from bullies by talking things out with family, and gaining strength from coming together. Using mythological animals like a phoenix, which rises from its ashes, and a Sarabha, a powerful beast with the ability to leap great distances, is a nod to both Thuy's and her mothers' Asian and Southeast Asian backgrounds. These animals also let readers follow Thuy further into an imaginary world where she - and we - can channel the strength of these creatures into ourselves when faced with adversity.

Beautifully told, beautifully illustrated, My Footprints is a solid addition to picture book collections.

Author Bao Phi is the award-winning author of 2017's A Different Pond. Find out more about his books and poetry at his author website. See more of illustrator Basia Tran's artwork at her webpage.

On the way home from school, Thuy can’t stop thinking about the bullies who taunted her. That is, until she sees a bright red cardinal bird. Copying its footsteps, Thuy gives her imagination free rein and soon she’s imitating the footsteps of one animal after another.

When she reaches home and is greeted by her two mommies, Mommy Ngoc and Mommy Arti, she confides in them about how she feels and they imagine strong, powerful animals that they can pretend to be together.

Any child who has ever been picked on for being “different” will find comfort in this deeply satisfying and heart-warming story, which celebrates racial diversity, same-sex parents and feisty, strong-willed girls.

The soft illustrations expertly capture the snowy winter setting and Thuy’s emotional state, ranging from anger to confusion right through to joy. The highlight in terms of illustrations, though, has to be the stunning pictures of mythical creatures imagined by Thuy and her mothers.

Engaging back matter contains an author’s note, pronunciation guide for the characters’ names and information about the mythical creatures mentioned in the book – the phoenix and the Sarabha.

A lovely picture book story with excellent representation and gorgeous illustrations. Love the LGBTQai+ presence.

This sweet picture book touches on lots of themes. The main character is a little girl who is a Vietnamese immigrant with two moms. She is being bullied at school and feeling mad and sad, and makes various footprints in the snow reflecting animals symbolic of her emotions and her goals. Her mothers are loving and supportive, which I loved. Kids may get lost in the footprint message at times, but the book does a good job of showing loving families and the universal angst of dealing with mean folks. Seven year old Fiona liked it okay, but didn't want to read it more than once.

Kudos to the author and publisher for including so much diversity and a loving, affirming message for all children.

My rating system:

1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

I was drawn to "My Footprints" because I loved "A Different Pond" by the same author. This book has the same quiet loveliness as a Different Pond, with themes of family, acceptance, tolerance and connection to one's culture.

I think children would appreciate the playfulness of the illustrations and the spunkiness of the main character, Thuy. This book deals with some difficult issues in a sensitive way, and shows Thuy feeling frustrated after being bullied. She feels different because of her culture, but also because she has two moms. This could be a good text to help children talk about difficult issues they are facing and how to deal with them.

I think this would be a good addition to our library for the worthiness of the difficult topics addressed, the message of love and acceptance, and the beautiful illustrations.

Thuy walks home from school in the snow, balancing the troubles she's been having at school with both her Vietnamese American identity with being the child of a same-sex couple. As a bird flies by, her imagination takes over and she starts to imagine different animals, creating their footprints in the snow as she walks home. When she returns to her loving moms, they all imagine different animals together to help Thuy build her strength and courage.
What a tender and beautiful book. The illustrations seem to be rendered in soft colored pencil, perfect for showing the depth of the snow and expressions. The animals, especially the animals that the moms imagine, are absolutely breathtaking. This book has the potential to spark some wonderful conversations in schools (1st-3rd grade especially) about bullying, animal tracks, identity, courage, and more. Notably, Phi smartly avoids any cultural appropriation phrasing of "spirit animals" and teachers and parents using the book would be wise to follow suit.

My Footprints
by Bao Phi
Illustrated by Basia Tran
due 9-1-2019
Capstone
5.0/5.0

#netgalley. #MyFootprints.

What a beautiful book!
Inspiring and positive, this is about a young girl, Thuy, who is bullied because she is Vietnamese-American and because she has two moms.
Thuy uses her imagination to Express her feelings by making footprints of different animals in the snow.....fly like a bird, sprint like a deer, roar like a lion.....
Her mother's, Momma Ngoc and Momma Arti, and Thuy, begin making their own footprints in the snow, talking of different animals and their strengths.
This reminds me of how important identity, perception and a sense of belonging help mold not just us, but how others see us. Perceptions can mold the footprints we leave behind or how we view ourselves.
Illustrations are gorgeous, colors are beautiful and perfectly represent this story.
This is a book written for ages 5-9, but I think it could be for any age.
I look forward to seeing more from Bao Phi and Basia Tran.
Thanks to netgalley and Capstone for sending this e-book ARC for review.

I really enjoyed the fantasy element to this story of a young girl dealing with bullying. She is quite upset, but through storytelling and imagination, she and her two moms are able to work through some of her emotions. Everything isn't solved at the end, but that's okay. I think that gives the reader some work to do after in imagining what the next day could be like.

The illustrations of the dragon and phoenix were fabulous and I think children will find those creatures very enthralling. The details are pretty cool.

I’ve been struggling to write a review on this book since I read it a few months ago. Although I liked the book I didn’t love it like I thought I would.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Net Galley and Capstone for the chance to read and review this book.

Tutti si sentono diversi, ma a Thuy pesa il doppio: non sono è di origini vietnamite, ma ha due mamme e nemmeno un papà.

Quando però inizia a seguire nella neve le impronte lasciate dagli animali passati prima di lei, e a immaginarne la velocità, il volo, il coraggio, arriva dritta fra le braccia delle sue mamme: pronte a creare con Thuy le impronte di creature speciali perché uniche, e piene di coraggio.

Come lei.

Una graphic novel di grande delicatezza, che esplora il bisogno di appartenenza di ogni bambino, mostrando insieme la libertà e meraviglia dell'essere diversi.

Perfette le suggestive tavole.