Lam, Thao

On their birthday, a child runs through a spectrum of emotions on the best day of the year as they shyly greet their guests, hunger for cake, get overwhelmed by arts and crafts, and deal with some real pi?ata problems.

"A monster meanders down a beach, dragging a stick behind them and leaving a line in the sand. Meanwhile, a group of friends is at play--flying kites, building sandcastles, tossing a ball--until two of them become curious about the line that now seemingly divides them"-- Provided by publisher.

Thao's signature collage art tells the wordless story of one family's escape from Vietnam, a journey intertwined with an ant colony's parallel narrative.

Thao is tired of her name being mispronounced all the time and decides to call herself Jennifer.

"A narrator describes all the ways in which her cat and father are--or are not--alike"--Provided by publisher.

"In December 1980, when Thao Lam was two years old, her parents made the decision to flee war-torn Vietnam. They piled into a small fishing boat, not knowing where they would end up, just knowing the had to leave. It was the only way they could imagine a future for their family, free of the violence that had ripped their country apart"--Dust jacket.

". . . tells the story of a young girl whose family moves into a new house. Outside, she can hear other kids playing, but she's too shy to say hello. So she picks at the old wallpaper in her room--revealing an entryway to a fantastic imaginary adventure world behind the walls"--Provided by publisher.

A skunk finds himself tied to the string of a balloon and must find a way to get safely back on the ground.