The Paper Boat

In wordless cut paper and mixed media collage, Lam (My Cat Looks Like My Dad) fictionalizes her family’s escape from Vietnam, drawing a human family into relationship with the ants that are interested in food on their table. Though grown-ups smack at the insects with a newspaper, a child rescues one, pulling it out of a bowl using chopsticks. Ants, in turn, lead the way when the child and mother leave their home, through tall grass to a boat that will carry them away from stern officers and a large green tank. Instead of using people to represent the hardships endured at sea, Lam employs an ant family on a folded paper boat as proxies. The insects journey across the ocean, through bad weather and seagull attacks, and land in a place where the human family, safe, dines at another table. Crisply cut paper represents intricate domestic scenes and just as skillfully conveys suspense during the silent, tense trip. An author’s note supplies important detail in this story of bravery and resilience, and provides its most powerful message: “When looking for strength and courage, I often picture my mother pregnant with my sister, and stranded at sea with me.” Ages 6–9. [em](Sept.) [/em]