Bao Phi

Upset after being bullied, Thuy, a Vietnamese American, pretends she is different creatures, including an especially strong, wonderful being made up of her two mothers and herself. Includes note about the phoenix and the Sarabha.

My Footprints

renee badenoch

Thuy is bullied at school for a number of reasons, because she has two moms, because of her name, because she looks different than the kids at her school, and because she’s a girl. After a rough day at school, Thuy comes home to her moms, and tells them about the bullying. Together they imagine different monsters that Thuy could turn into to protect herself. They make footprints in the snow like a Phoenix and a Sarabha (a many legged deer, or a lion bird prevalent in Hindu stories)

I really liked this book, including the honest talk about bullying, the interracial couple where neither person is white, the use of make believe and play to understand real-world issues, and the insanely cute illustrations.

Caroline Lewicki

I didn't think this book had much to do with footprints. I think it goes in a few different directions when the message it's trying to send is that everyone is different and that's okay. Thuy is bullied for being a POC and for having two moms. Her way of coping is creating an animal that is strong and brave to fight away the bad feelings of being bullied. It's a sweet story but I wish it would have been a little more direct in its message. Books need to start telling bullies to stop being jerks rather than telling the bullied to stay strong.

My Footprints

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