Wishes - by Muon Van & Muon Thi Van (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In this spare, poetic picture book based on author Muon Van's family history and told through a series of wishes, a family packs up everything they own and embarks on a perilous oceanic voyage toward a better life"--

Book Synopsis

An arresting, poetic journey and a moving reflection on immigration, family, and home, from an acclaimed creative team.

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.

Review Quotes

A Junior Library Guild selection

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 superb, beautifully moving collaboration of text and illustration. -- Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW

"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

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

About The Author

Muon Thi Van stitches stories by starlight and by daylight. Some of these stories become books, and some of these books are read around the world. Since her New York Times acclaimed debut, In a Village by the Sea, illustrated by April Chu, Muon's books have received many distinctions, including a Northern California Book Award, a Golden Kite Award, a New York Public Library Best Book, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and an Irma Black Honor Award. Her work has been translated into more than ten languages. Visit her online at www.muonthivan.com.



Victo Ngai is a Forbes 30 Under 30 (Art and Style) honoree and Society of Illustrators New York Gold Medalist. She provides illustrations for newspaper and magazines such as the New York Times and the New Yorker; creates storyboards and art for animations with studios like NBC and Dreamworks; and makes books for publishers such as Scholastic, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster. She lives in Los Angeles. Visit Victo at victo-ngai.com.