The Paper Boat by Thao Lam is creative and dynamic with its use of paper pictures and no words. The power of the images relay the feelings of the family fleeing their country without trying to explain in words. The juxtaposition of the ants in the paper boat and the refugees in the actual boat is brilliant, and explains the danger of crossing the water. The images are beautiful and creative. The art is well done and unique for a children's book.

Beautiful artwork punctuates this powerful story. The Paper Boat belongs in readers’ hands and I would gladly add it to my classroom library.

When I first read the book (through its pictures), I made up a story in my head. It reminded me of a potential teaching exercise of writing a story to pictures and then reading the author’s intent. I loved the use of ants as refugees, the completely visual storytelling, and thought the illustrations were superb.

Heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, tender, and nuanced - but above all, GORGEOUS. "The Paper Boat" illustrates a story inspired by the author's family's emigration from Vietnam in the midst of political unrest and the uprising of the Vietcong. Told from the perspective of a child, using a meaningful allegory that is further explained in the author's note, "The Paper Boat" dazzles with the beauty of its imagery and craft.

This is a beautiful illustrative journey of a family escaping war-zoned vietnam. This books is great for children of all ages and allows children to understand the difficult voyage of refugees without the complex conversation - instead only pictures.

I look forward to finding opportunities to use this in my own classroom.

Did I absolutely love this? Yes. Did it feel at times more like a piece of art for adults instead of a picture book? Also yes. The author's note at the end REALLY helps clarify what's going on. If I had gone into this completely blind I would have been very confused.

Obsessed with the gorgeous cut paper illustrations. The way of showing the ants' story within the larger frame of the family's story is both clever and moving. Because of the wordless nature, this book can be tailored to the intended audience. Read it with a preschooler by focusing in on the ant family and how they overcome the obstacles of their journey. Broaden the focus and age it up as part of a discussion about refugees or alongside learning about the Vietnam War.

This book is an incredible personal history that is relatable to so many. It tells that story of fleeing Vietnam inthe 1970s. The images will engage adults and children alike. I will definitely be purchasing a copy for my classroom and for my children at home.

This is another book I would like to have on my classroom shelf for my older students to look at and discuss. The book's illustrations are so beautiful and detailed; the little expressions on the faces of the ants is perhaps my favorite. I think the illustrations and the experiences of the little ants on the boat could help readers, young children and adults alike, understand more about the refugee experience. I also appreciated the author's note at the end of the story.

Can I also say, that I am really loving that children's books are seeking to introduce children to different cultures and compassion and diversity and understanding, more than just cute animals? One is never too young!

An interesting graphic novel without words- not my style but thought provoking. I did appreciate the explanation of the graphics at the end.

Wonderful wordless story. A beautiful story of the refugee experience. The art is wonderful. Would be a great story to share in a classroom.

The illustrations are the star of the show here. Beautiful collages capture the imagination & the harrowing nature of the refuge experience. Backmatter provides more context for this wordless story.

Wordless Book
I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Powerful illustrations bring the reader along on this family's journey from Vietnam to Canada. The two sets of beings - human and ants - show the resilience and spirit needed to survive. Lam begins her family's story after the war is over. They were not safe from the Vietcong and had to flee. The gamut of emotions is clear in the faces and bodies on each page. The ants, too, show their resilience and adaptability as they float in the paper boat to safety. The colors used emphasize the danger and fear as they leave their home.
Strong story to help middle elementary and older readers connect with human strength.

As readers we put our faith in authors to see what we don't and say what we can't. Thao Lam creates a wordless story that needs to be read at least twice. Once slowly and silently, followed by the author's note and then once more so you can be in awe of what she has created with cut paper. The comparisons between ants and refugees is one that has never crossed your mind but after this book you won't be able to shake it.

A beautiful, heartbreaking look at the refugee experience as shown through the eyes of a Vietnamese family as well as a group of ants that escape war-torn Vietnam simultaneously. We've all come to expect the very best from Lam, but I think The Paper Boat truly blows her previous work out of the water. The way she chose to express the family's loss - we see a photo of Grandmother in their new home, denoting she is no longer with them - through portraying the trip the ants make instead was genius; it allows children (and grown-ups) to approach an incredibly difficult subject in a slightly more manageable way. Lam's accompanying note, relating her own experience fleeing Vietnam and the story her mother shared about being "rescued by the ants", brings that added element of the personal to this tale. Truly a gorgeous picture book, and one I can't wait to share with my library population.

(Unfortunately, the Kindle view of this title was a little wonky and I couldn't get the PDF to download properly. Even with the unusual way the images rendered, however, I could tell how absolutely gorgeous this picture book is.)

The Paper Boat is a wordless story about a family fleeing Vietnam. It is also metaphorically told by ants escaping in a paper boat made by a child. As ants flee when their homes are threatened. This family must run as well.

The collage illustrations are beautiful and tell the story well

Without words, this book can be a useful tool for teaching inferencing and predicting.with elementary students.

Make sure to read the author’s note at the end.

Thank you to OwlKids and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this story, based on the author's family's escape from Vietnam at the end of the war, we learn how ants played a part in their survival.

This is a wordless picture book, and the author explains at the end how refugees are much like ants, and how when they escape a disaster they go to their new home and rebuild.

A very simple, yet powerful book. A good way to teach about the journey that refugees have to endure.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

"The Paper Boat"by Thao tells an emotional story of family's escape from Vietnam. As all refugee stories, the theme of danger and uncertainty jumps off the page. The story is geared towards older kids due to its mature themes. A nice addition to a growing library of refugee tales.

The Paper Boat is a wordless story that dictates the author's journey to escape his war-torn country. The illustrations are beautiful and packed with meaning and heart. The story is told in parallel to an ant family that was also trying to escape and find freedom. Both families face opposition and grave danger. In the end, they were able to start new lives in a safe, new place.

The Paper Boat is about a family's refugee escape from Vietnam, metaphorically told by ants in a paper boat. This is a very unique way to tell a refugee story but I think it was really really well done. The picture collage illustrations were wonderful and so emotive. Being a wordless picture book, it all falls to the artwork and I think this was very successful to telling a complete and full story. I'm sure this book would a perfect inclusion in school or as an exploration of the refugee experience.

This wordless graphic novel portrays the escape of a family after the fall of the South Vietnamese government in the conclusion of the Vietnam War. It's paralleled by a story of ants escaping the same area. It's a tad abstract during your first read-through, but when you read the end notes and come back through for a second go-through, it's all a lot clearer and even more enjoyable. In all, this is a neat book, and I think the right middle school audience and maybe high school audience would appreciate it. With a little assistance, an elementary audience could enjoy it as well. I look forward to its publication.