The Endless Sea by Chi Thai illustrated by Linh Dao

"The war was over, but life wasn't easier. Everyone was hungry. Everyone was afraid. My family were punished for being on the losing side of the war - our relatives went missing. Every day felt like it could be our last."

Now we move onto the people smugglers. The family sell all their precious things and pay a man who pays a man who speaks to another man and then finally it is time to leave - at night, in secret. After days of travel they reach a boat but it is old, wooden and extremely overloaded. The food runs out. The water runs out. It begins to rain and the boat begins to sink. 

"As the water inched higher and higher, I imagined sinking with the boat and disappearing into the sea. It would be as if we were never here, or never existed."

A ship comes to their rescue but in a heart-wrenching moment the crew hesitate to rescue the refugees. And this is only the beginning of their journey to a new city, a refugee camp, a long plane flight and finally a bust to their new home. 

In the background notes you will read how the experiences explained in this picture book actually happened to Chi Thai. You should also linger over the cover and end papers. This is an important and poignant picture book with a heartfelt personal story that should be added to your school library collection.

A poignant reflection on one refugee’s experience. Kirkus

The specific context is helpful, but even without, it’s an affecting story, a reminder that the refugee experience is unfortunately common enough to be believable even without all the details. The narrator’s voice is clipped but sympathetic, as she conveys the sequence of her journey with a matter-of-fact approach that still leaves room for emotion. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

This moving, visually compelling story about one refugee family’s experiences is a powerful testament to fostering compassion and understanding. Horn Book

Chi Thai is a British Vietnamese independent filmmaker. She is a BIFA nominated producer and a Screen International Star of Tomorrow. She directed and produced the short film adaptation of award-winning Walker title The Promise by Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin. The Endless Sea is her debut picture book.

Linh Dao is an award-winning illustrator and animator. Having been born in Vietnam she is now based in in Brno, Czech Republic.

I have begun collecting picture books that explore the refugee experience in preparation for an IBBY Australia talk later this year. Our Australian Standing orders have a selection of International titles and that is where I first saw a reference to this book. Then I was visiting Gleebooks and able to read The Endless Sea for myself - realising it was a perfect picture book to add to my collection. I am not a fan of endorsements but there are two very powerful ones on the back cover of this book:

• "These are the stories we must tell on behalf of those who can't." Shaun Tan
• "What a powerful book!" Michael Rosen

Companion books:

Out

Then and Now

Grandma's Treasured Shoes

Wishes

Escape

El Deafo by Cece Bell

I am late coming to this book which was published in 2015. I really appreciated the raw honesty of this story but of course you might expect that from an autobiography. At times Cece's experiences were heartbreaking but the ending has a promise of better times to come. I experienced a huge roller coaster of emotions. I desperately wanted someone to talk to the other students at Cece's High school - why were they so awful to her just because she was wearing a large hearing device? And worst of all is that dreadful PE teacher who breaks her expensive equipment seemingly with no consequence for him but huge ramifications for Cece.  

In a talk Bell gave at the 2014 ALA Midwinter Conference about El Deafo, she said she chose rabbits rather than humans as characters because rabbits can hear really well and what's funnier than a rabbit with hearing aids? Bell's characters are drawn with cute, simplistic faces, yet they are very expressive and she does a phenomenal job, both with words and pictures, of conveying the experience of not being able to hear and understand the world around you. Books4YourKids

The dream sequences where Cece imagines her alternate life as a superhero were terrific and very easy to identify from the way the page designed changed.  Here are twelve facts about Cece Bell. 

Publisher Blurb: Starting at a new school is scary, especially with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here, she’s different. She’s sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends. Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom but anywhere her teacher is in the school—in the hallway . . . in the teacher’s lounge . . . in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different . . . and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend? Here is a sample from the audio version of El Deafo. And the Kirkus Star Review. 

The real reason I found the book as compelling as I did was due in large part to the way in which Bell tackles the illogical logic of childhood friendships. So many kids are friends thanks to geographical convenience. You’re my age and live within a certain radius of my home? We’re besties! And Bell’s hearing-impaired state is just a part of why she is or is not friends with one person or another. Really, the true arc of the story isn’t necessarily CeCe coming to terms with the Sonic Ear, but rather how she comes to terms with herself and, in doing so, gets the best possible friend. It’s like reading a real life Goldilocks story. This friend is too bossy. This friend is too fixated on Cece’s hearing. But this friend? She’s juuuuuust right. SlJ Betsy Bird

Through the portrayal of bunny characters (bunnies because they are known for their big ears and excellent hearing), Bell has managed to amplify the book’s whimsical feel providing readers with a remarkable story of a young girl living with hearing impairment. Children's Book Review

Awards for El Deafo:

• Cybils Award for Elementary and Middle Grade Graphic Novel Winner
• Goodreads Choice Award for Best Middle Grade and Children's Nominee
• Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature Finalist
• Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Longlist
• ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection
• Charlotte Huck Award Honor
• Children's Choice Book Award for Debut Author Finalist
• Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids Winner
• Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work Finalist
• Great Graphic Novels for Teens Selection
• Judy Lopez Memorial Award Winner
• Newbery Medal Honor

As you would expect El Deafo is also included in the IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities.

I have a plan this year to read more graphic novels. Luckily the libraries I visit each week have strong collections. The hospital library where I work as a volunteer has an interesting collection which comes from Scholastic Australia and their Standing Order service. Here are the books they offered in 2023:

Other books by Cece Bell:

I Yam a donkey    Rabbit and Robot The Sleepover