This was a cute book but maybe I missed it. How do you properly pronounce her name? I loved the illustrations and scrapbook/ paste up effects. Definitely something I would share with children with unique names.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

This is a beautiful book about the importance of your name. It reminds me of so many others, like the Name Jar. Thao is a young student who is grappling with the mispronunciation of her name. Should she change it to make it easier on others or maintain her given name? Just a brilliant book.

In a quirky scrapbook/journal/doodle style that I loved for it's uniqueness and the way it was captivating, this book talks about how hard it is to be different as a kid. How it's hard to have a different name, and look different. But I think it ends well.

New from the author of “The Paper Boat” and “My Cat Looks Like My Dad,” “THAO” is an autobiographical picture book about struggling with one’s name. Following Lam herself as she hears her name constantly mispronounced and sees it frequently misspelled, the book highlights the struggles of being different before ultimately urging young people to embrace. their identities and names and to stand up for their right to be identified correctly.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the lack of narrative arc or practical suggestions for how to standup for oneself. “THAO” felt whiny and capricious, and her choice to switch names and then switch back is underdeveloped (and therefore unbelievable). I see value in the message, but that message lacks the packaging we expect in an illustrated text to make it less overtly didactic.

I loved the premise and illustrations of this book, but it ends a bit abruptly. Thao is a little girl whose name is constantly mispronounced by others. She gets justifiably frustrated and wants to change her name to something common and easy to pronounce. She ultimately changes her name, but is still the same girl and likes the same things. After realizing she's still the same, she goes back to her name and lets the reader know how to pronounce it. As someone whose name was/is still often mispronounced, I really identified with this feeling of frustration and wanting to fit in. I think an extra page or two with her parents explaining the meaning and importance of her name would've made the book better for me. This book would be great for pre-school to kindergarten aged children.

Thank you Owlkids Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.