{"title":"Books by Thao Lam","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781773068725","title":"Happy Birthday to Me","description":"\u003cp\u003eHow does it feel to turn a year older? A child runs through a spectrum of emotions on the best day of the year, their birthday!\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA child runs through a spectrum of emotions on the best day of the year--their birthday! Early-morning excitement gives way to shyness at the arrival of guests, hunger for cake, a craze for arts and crafts, and some real piñata problems. So how can a kid possibly answer that age old question: \"How does it feel to be a year older?\" \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom bestselling picture-book creator Thao Lam comes this irrepressible celebration of emotions, captured in a rainbow of cut-paper collage. Happy Birthday to Me makes for the perfect birthday present or anytime-guide to naming our feelings.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey Text Features\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIllustrations\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIdentify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram Publisher Services","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46356017774764,"sku":"9781773068725","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/6626\/7820\/files\/7645243482819.jpg?v=1781631609"},{"product_id":"9781771475709","title":"Line in the Sand","description":"\u003cp\u003eCritically acclaimed creator Thao Lam, author of The Paper Boat and THAO, is back with a wordless story about conflict resolution\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA 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. \u003c\/p\u003e What does the line mean? Tensions mount as the two ponder the situation. Should the line be crossed? Can it be crossed? Eyes narrow, feathers get ruffled, and a scuffle starts, stemming from a series of misunderstandings and aggravated by the innocent, and very untimely, arrival of a bee. It's only when their stomping and kicking has completely erased the line in the sand that the friends realize their scrabble was senseless. They rejoin the others at play, where the line becomes part of their games, while in the background, the line's creator continues to meander across the page, oblivious to the impact of their actions. \u003cp\u003eThis powerful wordless story, told in panels and illustrated in striking collage art, is at once simple, relatable, and profound and will encourage readers to think about conflict, communication, and the meaning of the lines we all draw, whether intentional or not. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Owl Kids","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46356216610988,"sku":"9781771475709","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/6626\/7820\/files\/19800873482818.jpg?v=1781634907"},{"product_id":"9781771473514","title":"My Cat Looks Like My Dad","description":"New from the creator of \u003ci\u003eWallpaper\u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eSkunk on a String\u003c\/i\u003ecomes a witty and uplifting picture book that will speak to families of all varieties about how family really is what you make it.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Minimal text paired with bright paper-collage illustrations create comparisons on each spread in which the narrator talks about their family--especially the striking similarities between Dad and the cat. Both have orange hair, love milk, start their days with stretches, appreciate a good nap, and are brave (some of the time). The narrator is more like Mom, with wild hair, blue eyes, and a love of dancing.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e A surprising twist at the end reveals the narrator's unexpected identity, also hinted at with clues in the art throughout the book. Warmth and whimsy in the illustrations add a playful balance to the story's deeper message about the love that makes a family a unit, no matter how unusual it may look from the outside.","brand":"Owl Kids","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46356280803500,"sku":"9781771473514","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/6626\/7820\/files\/19778923482818.jpg?v=1781635953"},{"product_id":"9781771475990","title":"One Giant Leap","description":"\u003cp\u003eA playful wordless story about the power of imagination and creativity in play\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA child zips up their orange suit, pulls on a pair of boots, and adjusts their hat. They're ready for an adventure. But where are they going? With the push of an elevator button, their adventure begins, and they're transformed ... into an astronaut!\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe child takes one small step into a barren landscape. Then one giant leap. Soon, they're hopping around a strange new planet and scaling space mountains. As they explore the peculiar planet, the astronaut discovers colorful space creatures of all shapes and sizes. Suddenly, a blizzard hits, and the astronaut races through the storm right into ... the school hallway! The little astronaut was a child on their way to school, and the space odyssey was all part of their imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis inventive and satisfying new wordless picture book from acclaimed author and illustrator Thao Lam celebrates a child's talent for making the mundane magical. Thao's signature storytelling style is dynamic, engaging, and rewards close observation. Keen-eyed readers will spot clues in the illustrations that reveal what's really going on and feel inspired to creatively reframe tiresome tasks.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Owl Kids","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46356300169388,"sku":"9781771475990","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/6626\/7820\/files\/19803683482818.jpg?v=1781636341"},{"product_id":"9781771473637","title":"Paper Boat","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Thao Lam's family came to Canada as refugees during the Vietnam War. When Thao started thinking about how to tell this story, she couldn't stop thinking about ants: small, seemingly insignificant creatures who are able to travel amazingly long distances overwater, work hard, and thrive on almost every continent on the planet. Boat People starts with a story inspired by Thao's mother's life: a young girl watches as a bowl of sugar water is put out to attract (and get rid of) some pesky aunts. As the adults around her frantically make plans for escape, she dips her chopstick into the bowl to save the drowning insects. When the army arrives, the family must flee, and in the chaos, the girl and her mother become separated from the others, and get lost in the jungle. The mother gives the hungry girl a bun wrapped in paper, which she then folds into a paper boat. After they eat, the girl spots a trail of ants in the moonlight. They follow the insects to water and manage to meet up with the boat that will take them to safety. The story switches to the perspective of a family of ants who have boarded the paper boat. Their journey is full of peril. The sun is relentless, the ants are attacked by seagulls, they starve, a storm capsizes their boat, and many ants are lost. The survivors, however, cling to each other, creating a raft of their own bodies, eventually making it to shore. One ant ends up on a kitchen table, surrounded by food, much like the table from the first scene. But the family members around this table aren't quite the same. The grandmother is no longer there, the little girl has grown, and she's been joined by a baby sister. But they seem happy, and most importantly, they are safe. As the story ends, the reader zooms out to see that they are but one family in an apartment building full of families, in a busy city full of apartment buildings full of tiny, seemingly insignificant creatures, working hard and thriving. With this picture book, Thao is returning to an earlier format: the wordless picture book of sequential art. But she has pushed herself again with the artwork--and this story is a collage of simple shapes, clean geometry, and impressionistic washes of colour. Its simplicity belies its great depth of feeling. This is a heartfelt, one-of-a-kind book on every level.\"--\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Owl Kids","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46356311146668,"sku":"9781771473637","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/6626\/7820\/files\/19780153482818.jpg?v=1781636730"},{"product_id":"9781771471312","title":"Skunk on a String","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe highly anticipated wordless picture book from debut author and collage artist Thao Lam\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Wordless... colorful... hilarious.\"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e, STARRED REVIEW\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eSkunk on a String\u003c\/i\u003e, we meet a skunk who has been tied to the tail of a balloon. Try as he might, the persistent critter can't get anyone to untie him. In this wordless story, he is shooed and swatted through a bustling parade, past the windowpanes of the city's apartment buildings with their diverse, busy inhabitants, then up to the construction cranes high above the city. He floats through the zoo, into traffic, under water, and eventually lands atop a Ferris wheel. When he finally unties himself, the skunk misses the aerial life -- so he comes up with an inspired way to fly again.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Paper collage art in whimsical colors and patterns -- polka dots, gingham, and florals --creates a playful dynamic and brilliantly captures details of urban life, from the legs of a crowd to window boxes, spilled ice cream, and clothing flapping on clotheslines. This heartwarming, highly visual adventure takes a new vantage point on the ordinary and shows the skunk expanding his horizons, overcoming adversity, and, eventually, helping himself.","brand":"Owl Kids","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46356413612204,"sku":"9781771471312","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/6626\/7820\/files\/19756903482818.jpg?v=1781638107"},{"product_id":"9781771474320","title":"Thao","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn honest #OwnVoices story about growing up with a name that is unfamiliar to the kids around you, told with humor and heart by critically acclaimed author\/illustrator Thao Lam\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Even though it's only four simple, familiar letters long, nobody can \u003ci\u003eever\u003c\/i\u003e pronounce Thao's name. She's been called Theo, Tail, even Towel! But the teasing names--Tofu, Tiny, China Girl--are worse. Maybe it's time to be someone else? Thao decides to try on a different name, something easy, like Jennifer. \u003cbr\u003e It works, but only until she opens her lunchbox to find her mother's Vietnamese spring rolls, \u003ci\u003egỏi cuốn\u003c\/i\u003e--Thao's favorite! Now, it feels a lot more comfortable to be herself. \u003cbr\u003e Simple on the surface, this story inspired by Thao's own childhood is full of humor, heart, and important ideas of diversity, inclusion, and cultural pride. The story will be instantly relatable to readers who have ever felt different. \u003cbr\u003e Designed with a playful emphasis on typography, and Thao's own childhood photos added to her signature cut-paper collage, \u003ci\u003eTHAO\u003c\/i\u003e champions being true to yourself and your background, and being empathetic towards others. It is a celebration of all that's in a name and the power of owning your identity.","brand":"Owl Kids","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46356454801580,"sku":"9781771474320","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/6626\/7820\/files\/19786983482818.jpg?v=1781638479"},{"product_id":"9781771472838","title":"Wallpaper","description":"New from the creator of \u003ci\u003eSkunk on a String\u003c\/i\u003ecomes \u003ci\u003eWallpaper\u003c\/i\u003e, a wordless picture book in Thao Lam's signature paper collage style. It 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.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e There, she runs between the vibrant and varied environments--surrounded by birds, swimming in a frog pond, in a herd of art-deco sheep--as she finds herself chased by a monster. He is frightening at first, until it becomes clear he simply wants to be her friend. When it comes time to go back to reality, the girl feels inspired with the courage to approach the other kids and say hello.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Full of humor and heart, this book delivers exquisite illustrations in a lively fantasy narrative that will inspire thinking about bravery and overcoming obstacles.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Owl Kids","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46356508901548,"sku":"9781771472838","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/6626\/7820\/files\/19772163482818.jpg?v=1781639486"}],"url":"https:\/\/giftshop.carlemuseum.org\/collections\/books-by-thao-lam.oembed","provider":"The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}