Wishes

by Muon Thi Van (Author) Victo Ngai (Illustrator)

Wishes
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

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 Thi Van, thoughtful back matter 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 and their families.

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

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Starred Review
A superb, beautifully moving collaboration of text and illustration.

Review quotes

Praise for Wishes:

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 gorgeous story capturing the refugee immigrant experience." — Kelly Yang, New York Times bestselling author of the Front Desk series

A heart-wrenching journey captured via the wishes of the light, the night, a dream, the sea, and more. A universal story of leaving and arriving and remembering, illuminated by wistful and lush illustrations. Most ancestors have taken this journey during one century or another. WISHES encapsulates our commonality, our humanity, our wish for safety for ourselves and our families." — Pam Muñoz Ryan, author of Mañanaland and the Newbery Honor Book, Echo

"WISHES is an exquisite and emotive offering that deepens our understanding of migration. Van and Ngai together have given the world a luminescent story of human longing for safety and home." — Aida Salazar, author of the NCTE Notable Poetry and Verse Novel Award winner, The Moon Within and Jane Addams Peace Award finalist, The Land of Cranes

"It is incredible how you can say so much with so little. Like a perfect marriage, the words and pictures of WISHES complete each other, bringing the reader along an epic journey full of experiences and emotions within just 17 spreads and 75 words. I was immediately moved to tears. — Yuko Shimizu, illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book, The Cat Man of Aleppo

"Powerful, hopeful, and timely." — The Fan Brothers, creators of The Night Gardener and When Ocean Meets Sky

"This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen. A masterpiece. — Jessica Love, creator of the Stonewall Book Award winner, Julián is a Mermaid

"My heart was with this refugee family through every stunningly illustrated page. By sharing one child's simple, vital wish for safety and compassion, WISHES reminds us of our common humanity." — Christina Soontornvat, Newbery Honor winning-author of A Wish in the Dark

"With spare, 'packs-a-punch' text and lush illustrations, this journey of leaving home to begin anew nearly took my breath away." — Tami Charles, New York Times bestselling author of All Because You Matter

Praise for In a Village by the Sea:

* A lovely, resonant portrait of family life that hums with quiet magic. — Publishers Weekly, starred review

* In circular fashion, this simple story's narration unfolds, with great power behind the few words on each page. — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A delightful and quiet read that effectively evokes the book's setting. — School Library Journal

Praise for One is a Lot:

* One unique picture book with much to say equals quite a lot. — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Muon Thi Van
Muon Thi Van 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. Muon has written many picture books for children, including Wishes, If You Were Night and One Is a Lot, and her books have received many distinctions and awards. She lives in Northern California with her family.
Miki Sato is a Japanese Canadian illustrator who uses a variety of different papers and fabrics to create layered, three-dimensional-looking illustrations. She enjoys experimenting with new textures and incorporates materials such as embroidery thread, glass beads, cotton balls, and sand into her illustrations. Miki lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338305890
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Orchard Books
Publication date
May 04, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV039250 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emigration & Immigration
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
Library of Congress categories
History
Family
Immigrants
Picture books
United States
20th century
Refugees
Emigration and immigration
Vietnam
Wishes
Van, Muon
ALSC Notable Children's Book
Selection 2022
Junior Library Guild
Selection 2022

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