(1) K-3 Illustrated by Linh Dao. In this somber, emotional, semiautobiographical picture book, Thai tells a story based on memories of her family’s escape from postwar Vietnam. Using spare, straightforward language, the young narrator shares her experiences over the course of a year as her parents sell their possessions to fund their escape from a difficult life in which everyone was “hungry” and “afraid” and relatives went “missing” as punishment “for being on the losing side of the war.” Dao’s evocative digital illustrations, done mostly in brown, green, and gray, heighten the dangers as the family escapes into the jungle at night, then boards an over-crowded wooden boat. The titular sea threatens all passengers as they run out of food and water; when the pump gives out, the boat starts to sink. The family is rescued at the last moment and eventually resettles in the UK, but the protagonist remains haunted by their brush with death. An author’s note pays tribute to the hundreds of thousands of others who did not survive the journey. This moving, visually compelling story about one refugee family’s experiences is a powerful testament to fostering compassion and understanding.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025