Simone - by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When a wildfire threatens Simone's home, she and Mâa must rush to take shelter. Guided by her own creativity, and buoyed by Mâa's memories of her childhood in Viòãet Nam, Simone navigates her way through an all-too-common crisis. This powerful story, straddling two generations and two countries, shows how communities come together in tough times, and how the youngest can imagine the path to a better future"--

Book Synopsis

A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year 2024
A Kirkus Best Picture-Book Conversation Starter of 2024
A School Library Journal Best Picture Book 2024

From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and illustrator Minnie Phan comes an unforgettable story of a Vietnamese American girl whose life is transformed by a wildfire.

★ School Library Journal, starred review
★ Kirkus Reviews, starred review

When Simone is awakened by her mom as a wildfire threatens their home, it is the beginning of a life-changing journey. On their way to take shelter in a high school gym, the family passes firefighters from a prison unit battling the fire. Simone's mom tells her that when she was a girl in Viet Nam, she was forced to evacuate her home after a flood. Joined by other children sheltering in the gym, Simone, a budding artist, encourages everyone to draw as a way to process their situation. After a few days, Simone and her mom are able to return to their home, which is fortunately still standing, and her outlook has changed. As Simone begins creating a piece of art with one of her new friends, she realizes that even though they are young, they can dream and work together for a more sustainable future. With a poetic, haunting family story by esteemed author Viet Thanh Nguyen and gorgeous art from illustrator Minnie Phan, this powerful tale introduces an unforgettable young heroine who awakens to a new role fighting for her community and for the future of the planet.

Review Quotes

A Best Picture Books of 2024 -- Bookshop.org
A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year
A Kirkus Best Picture-Book Conversation Starter of 2024
A School Library Journal Best Picture Book 2024
A Tattered Cover Bookstore Picture Book of the Month

★ A book one doesn't see coming, Simone glows like a small, steady flame of childhood agency." - School Library Journal, STARRED

★"Stunning.... a powerful, multilayered depiction of an increasingly common situation." - Kirkus Reviews, STARRED

"[A] soft, tender picture book ... reminding readers of the hope found in connecting with and leaning on others....Exciting reading...that celebrate[s] the Asian American experience." -
San Francisco Chronicle

"A thoughtful and emotionally intense family story ....Phan's colored pencil and watercolor palette gorgeously interprets the book's themes....The illustrations combine with Nguyen's words--"It's up to us"--to offer a vision of hope and healing in the wake of generations of displacement." - Book Page

"A deeply caring book." -- Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse#8 Production / School Library Journal

"A touching story about having to leave your home in haste.... shows the importance of art in our lives in the most difficult moments. Absolutely gorgeous illustrations." - Katie Fransen, The Novel Neighbor, St. Louis, MO

"★★★★★ Kids will be enthralled with the real life drama, and how a child has a part to play in keeping hope....Perfect for readers who like realistic stories, especially about disasters, for ages 5-9. Great for classroom." --Youth Services Book Review

"So full of heart and kindness and joy. I was so moved...the illustrations are beautiful and the words flow so neatly....This one is winning awards. I'm sure of it." -- Lindy Wilson, librarian

"Touching." - Booklist

"Evocative....Phan's inventive illustrations ... introduces a full rainbow spectrum of experience." - Publishers Weekly

"Addresses climate change, displacement caused by natural disaster, and Vietnamese history and culture...with the most gorgeous illustrations... the author addresses everything beautifully.....A book you just must check out!" - diversify.our.parenting

About the Author

Viet Thanh Nguyen is the author of The Sympathizer, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial. His first picture book was Chicken of the Sea, co-written with his son, Ellison Nguyen, and illustrated by Thi Bui and her son, Hien Bui-Stafford.

Minnie Phan is an illustrator and writer based in Oakland, CA. Her work has been featured by Google, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the San Francisco Public Library, for which she illustrated a citywide reading campaign in 2022. She is the illustrator of the picture book The Yellow Áo Dài, written by Hanh Bui.