Book
The magic fish
Record details
- ISBN: 9781984851598 (paperback)
-
Physical Description:
print
regular print
229 pages : chiefly illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 21 cm - Edition: First RH Graphic edition.
- Publisher: New York, New York : RH Graphic, [2020]
- Copyright: ©2020
Content descriptions
| Immediate Source of Acquisition Note: | Donation ; Marni Stanley ; 2023/08. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Coming out (Sexual orientation) -- Comic books, strips, etc Identity (Psychology) -- Comic books, strips, etc GRAPHIC-NARRATIVES |
| Genre: | Comics (Graphic works) Graphic novels. Young adult graphic novels. |
| Topic Heading: | LGBTQ+. SOGI Sexual orientation and gender identity |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at University College of the North Libraries.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Pas Campus Library | PZ 7.7 .T79 M34 2020 (Text) | 58500000741868 | Graphic Novels | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 July #1
*Starred Review* The magic happens here on every page, the perfection personified by debut author/artist Nguyen's autobiographical homage to the infinite power of storytelling. The opening page ingeniously distinguishes three interwoven narratives with three color palettes: red is the urgent now, about young Ti?n and his mother learning to communicate through the language of fairy tales when difficult conversations can't yet be uttered; brown is the older past, of Ti?n's mother's cleaving journey from war-torn Vietnam to become a U.S. citizen; blue are the stories we tell to help understand, shape, and even save our very lives. Ti?n has a secret he desperately needs to declare, especially to his mother, but she's suddenly called back to Vietnam when her own mother dies. Three parallel stories bind the generations together: mother and son read aloud Alera, a Cinderella-esque story of cross-dressing true love; mother-in-mourning and her elderly aunt recall the fairy godparent-like magic fish; mother-returned and son-in-waiting share a different magic fish, a voiceless mermaid who learns to speak through dance. Such are the stories that will reveal the truth. Even as his panels end, Nguyen's magic continuesâas writer, his spare author's note is an articulate reclamation, even reinvention, of the immigrant narrative; as artist, his detailed commentary on illustrative genesisâEuropean, colonial, Asian, American Midwest inspirationsâprovide both historical and personal revelations. Grades 8-12. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2021 Spring
In this imaginative graphic novel, thirteen-year-old Vietnamese American boy Tin and his Vietnamese-refugee seamstress mother, Hin, have always loved stories, with the two often reading library books aloud while enjoying time together. Nguyen (a comic artist also known as Trungles) delves into the world of Vietnamese fairy tales, including Cinderella and The Little Mermaid variants. Themes from these works -- parent-child struggles, unrequited love, and the timeless quest to attain one's innermost desires, for example -- are reflected in the versions of the illustrated retellings Tin reads and in his day-to-day life at home and school, including his secret crush on a male classmate. Nguyen's artistry radiates elegance on every page. Pastel shades of red, brown, and purple alternate to signify present, past, and imaginative plot segments. While some panels feature characters in pensive curiosity or profound melancholy, others burst with vibrancy, their exquisite portraits spanning an entire page or across multiple panels. Infused with emotional depth and integrity, this coming-of-age story broadens the range of Vietnamese American creative voices in books for young people. Copyright 2023 Horn Book Guide Reviews. - Horn Book Magazine Reviews : Horn Book Magazine Reviews 2021 #1
In this imaginative graphic novel, thirteen-year-old Vietnamese American boy Tin and his Vietnamese-refugee seamstress mother, Hin, have always loved stories, with the two often reading library books aloud while enjoying time together. Nguyen (a comic artist also known as Trungles) delves into the world of Vietnamese fairy tales, including "Cinderella" and "The Little Mermaid" variants. Themes from these works -- parent-child struggles, unrequited love, and the timeless quest to attain one's innermost desires, for example -- are reflected in the versions of the illustrated retellings Tin reads and in his day-to-day life at home and school, including his secret crush on a male classmate. Nguyen's artistry radiates elegance on every page. Pastel shades of red, brown, and purple alternate to signify present, past, and imaginative plot segments. While some panels feature characters in pensive curiosity or profound melancholy, others burst with vibrancy, their exquisite portraits spanning an entire page or across multiple panels. Infused with emotional depth and integrity, this coming-of-age story broadens the range of Vietnamese American creative voices in books for young people. Jerry Dear January/February 2021 p.112 Copyright 2021 Horn Book Magazine Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2020 August #2
While Tiến is fluent in English, his Vietnamese refugee parents are not, leaving them struggling at times for a shared language. Tiến's mom, Hiá»Ân, asks him to read aloud the fairy tales he checks out from the library; they both love them, and she can use them to practice English. When Tiến selects "Tattercoats," his seamstress mother tells him that there is a Vietnamese version that her own mother told her, long ago. As he reads the story of love, longing, and travel across a sea, Hiá»Ân is reminded of family she left behind in Vietnam while Tiến tries to navigate his own first love, a boy he is friends with. Le Nguyen's gorgeous, flowing, detailed illustrations deftly weave Vietnamese and Western fairy-tale worlds together with Hiá»Ân's memory of her past and Tiến's struggle over coming out. The rich color palette highlights both the layers within each panel as well as serving as a road map for readers by indicating whether the panels are set in the present, the past, or within the fairy tale. This clever use of color smooths the way for the sophisticated embedding of stories within a story that highlights the complex dynamics between first-generation and second-generation family members. Warm, loving family and friends are a refreshing alternative to immigrant stories that focus on family problems. Beautifully illustrates how sharing old stories can be the best way to learn how to share new ones. (author's note, notes about the illustrations, bonus artwork) (Fiction. 13-17) Copyright Kirkus 2020 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - PW Annex Reviews : Publishers Weekly Annex Reviews
Ti?n Phong, 12, who "speak mostly English," and his mother, Hi?n, a refugee who "speak mostly Vietnamese," have long read fairy tales together to bolster Hi?n's English. Ti?n cherishes this bonding activity, as his mother works long hours as a seamstress. Despite her busy schedule, though, she dreams of taking her son to her hometown in Vietnam to meet her mother. Meanwhile, Ti?n struggles to discuss his sexuality with his parents ("The librarian and I couldn't find the word for it in Vietnamese") and navigate his feelings for male best friend Julian, even with the encouragement of best friend Claire. Alternating between Ti?n and Hi?n, the narrative intertwines Western and Vietnamese fairy tales, including "T?m Cám"â"our âCinderella'?"âand a nuanced retooling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." Detailed illustrations rendered in split complementary colors cleverly distinguish each story line. Nguyen's poignant debut captures the perspectives of, and essence of the bond between, a parent and child, proving that languageâand loveâcan transcend words. Back matter includes author's notes that delve into personal inspiration, the interplay between immigration stories and fairy tales, and contextualize the illustrations. Final art not seen by
Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly Annex.PW . Ages 12âup. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary. (Oct.) - School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2020 August
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal.Gr 7 Upâ Le Nguyen folds five stories into his narrative. There's Tien, a young teen who's trying to figure out how to tell his parents he's gay while nursing a crush on one of his best friends. Meanwhile, his mother, Helen, struggles to help a sick parent back in Vietnam. Then there are three gorgeous fairy-tale adaptations from around the world, which Tien and his mother like to read together to learn English. The language gap between the two makes Tien wonder how his parents will react if he comes out, but their love for one another resonates throughout the story. Tien's best friends, Claire and Julian, are also an important support system for him. Though there are moments of stress and doubt, everything comes together, all wrapped up in Le Nguyen's sumptuous illustrations and intricate linework. The couture dresses worn by the characters in the fairy tales contrast with Helen's job as a seamstress and the patchwork coat she makes for Tien. Questions of happy endings and sacrificeâthe bread and butter of fairy talesâare explored deftly. Notes from the author provide details on his own experience as the child of immigrants who spoke a hybrid language at home. He also includes in-depth information on the fashion and art, which will appeal to close readers of comics.VERDICT A lovely and original take on fairy tales, identity, and culture.âGretchen Hardin, Bee Cave P.L., TX
