Remember - by Dac Trung Tran (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A young boy wakes to find his mother has left for work early but she's also taken the time to leave him a note of encouragement, meant to guide him through his daily chores.Remember to water the plants Remember to pick the sweetest melons by listening to their heartbeats On the surface, the note may just look like a series of reminders to help a child navigate a vast and sometimes scary world. But it soon becomes clear that this endearing letter from mother to child is so much more it's a reassurance of who'll be home waiting to comfort him after a day's work is through"--

Book Synopsis

A heartfelt story of love, guidance, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and child, Remember is a beautifully illustrated picture book that speaks to young readers on an emotional and universal level.
When a young boy wakes to find his mother has left for work early, he discovers a carefully written note filled with reminders. "Remember to water the plants... Remember to pick the sweetest melons by listening to their heartbeats..." On the surface, these words seem like simple instructions to navigate daily chores. But as the child ventures through his day, he realizes that his mother's words are so much more--they are lessons of love, encouragement, and reassurance that he is never truly alone.
Through bold illustrations, this tender story captures the wonder of a child exploring the world while carrying the warmth of a mother's love. The striking artwork, enhances the book's timeless and universal themes. Young readers will connect with the child's emotions, from the uncertainty of being on his own to the comfort of returning home to open arms.
Key Features:
- A Poignant Story About Love and Reassurance - A mother's words guide her child through the day, offering wisdom and warmth even in her absence.
- Beautiful, Expressive Illustrations - Bold perspectives and captivating imagery immerse young readers in the child's awe-inspiring journey.
- Universal Themes of Growth and Connection - Encourages children to find confidence in their independence while knowing they are always loved.
- Perfect for Shared Reading - A touching story that parents and caregivers will love reading aloud, sparking meaningful conversations about love, responsibility, and home.
Perfect for fans of heartfelt picture books like The Kissing Hand and Love You Forever, Remember is a tender celebration of family, resilience, and the small yet profound ways love is expressed every day.

Review Quotes

Author/artist Dac Trung Tran recalls "the endless summers of [his] early years" in his Vietnam hometown in the resplendent picture book Remember. A boy awakes to a note left on his bedside table that begins, "Dear son, Mom is going to work early today." The letter goes on to offer a series of caring reminders: "Remember to speak loudly when ordering breakfast," "to water the plants," not to "get too distracted by snacks and toys," "to feed your mind... and to play." Most importantly, at the end of his adventures, "Remember Mom will be waiting for you."

Tran's vibrantly saturated illustrations fill every inch of all pages, bleeding to the edges as if emphasizing the unlimited possibilities of each day. The boy's comparative tiny size--in the market, the library, on the sidewalks and streets--underscores the expansiveness all around, waiting to be explored. "It is a child's unique ability to find wonder in even the most unremarkable corners of their world," Tran writes in his concluding author's note, also revealing that the Mom-notes are real "words and advice" his mother left for him. They "felt like rules to live by, but also incredibly tempting rules to break," which the protagonist eventually does, driven by utter kindness--Mom's admonition to "cover your head so you don't get wet," gets disregarded to protect a lone pup on the street... albeit with a library book! Tran concludes with a timeless reminder to young audiences: "embrace the dreaminess. Wherever they find it."

--Terry Hong

Drawing from his own childhood in Vietnam, Tran tells the story of a boy navigating life, bolstered by his mother's words.
The young protagonist wakes to find a letter on his nightstand: "Dear son, Mom is going to work early today." The deceptively simple narrative consists of the contents of her missive, paired with illustrations that skillfully chart the boy's emotional journey. Using skewed, exaggerated proportions and splotches of shadow and color, Tran depicts the boy as doll-size--a choice that underscores his vulnerability and demonstrates how large, fantastical, and even frightening the world can appear to a child. When Mom tells the boy, "Remember to speak loudly when ordering breakfast," the accompanying image shows him gazing up at the towering, blue-hued crowd of adults bent over their bowls. The palette switches to warmer tones as the son dutifully waters the plants. Mom's words aren't limited to mere chores, however; she also reminds her son to appreciate life and to show consideration to others--"to find the sweetest melons by listening to their heartbeats," "to walk quietly" to avoid disturbing the slumber of napping rickshaw drivers, and "to feed your mind. And to play." Though the youngster cuts a solitary figure for much of the book, he's never truly alone; as the sky darkens, he heads home, where Mom's waiting with a hug, which brings the tale to a warm and loving close.
An elegantly told, compelling glimpse of childhood. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)

--Miriam Aronin

Publishers Weekly

October 28, 2024

Remember

Dac Trung Tran. Paw Prints, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-223-18868-3

Tran locates home in the embrace of a child's mother in this visually epic epistolary story. Opening, a child awakens alone to find a note: "Dear son, Mom is going to work early today." Spare instructions next offer reminders for the day, and skillfully emotive page-filling illustrations show the youth exploring larger-than-life urban surroundings as the note unfurls. "Remember to find/ the sweetest melons/ by listening to/ their heartbeats," reads text while the child, depicted as comparatively miniature, peeks out from behind a watermelon, presented as magnitudes larger. Later, the kid stands in awe before a shop full of candy, and as the day comes to a close, a rainstorm fills the page with smudgy splotches of color until at last Mom and child joyously reunite again at home--the conclusion to an adventurous day out. An author's note reveals that the story is drawn from memories of childhood days spent wandering his Vietnam hometown. Ages 4-7. (Feb.)

Based on Dac Trung Tran's childhood in Vietnam, this picture book illustrates the invisible hand of a mother's love guiding her son's steps. A child wakes early; his mother has already left for work, leaving him a note listing what he should remember for the day. The soft, dreamlike illustrations depict the world as towering over the boy as he navigates it, his mother's words guiding him every step of the way--and back home again. --DANIELLE BALLANTYNE (January / February 2025)--DANIELLE BALLANTYNE

In this brief but beautiful picture book, a mother's reminders are a sign of love. When the mother has to leave early for work, she leaves her son a note with several instructions for the day. The child seems young to be left alone, and he becomes truly tiny in the illustrations, as if diminished by his mother's absence. As the world towers over the child, the note is a testament to how much she cares: she reminds her child how to find the sweetest melon; how to "feed your mind" (with books, as the illustrations show) as well as to play; when to be quiet; and how to stay safe and dry in the rain. The setting is not clearly defined but visually conjures an East Asian town. The mother's instructions, however, will be universally understood and resonate with young readers. The final reminder leads the boy home, where his mother is waiting. Bold illustrations with an interesting perspective bring to life the child's awestruck approach to the world and the safety of returning home.--Miriam Aronin

About the Author

A cubicle-bound office worker by day and illustrator by night, Dac Trung Tran (Trung) specializes in visual storytelling for children, many about Asian folklore and culture, and his books have been published in US, UK, Singapore, Vietnam, and China. He is based in Vietnam.