Then and Now by Datsun Tran

"This book is dedicated to those who have had to make the difficult decisions to leave their homes, to those who had to cross oceans for safety, to those learning to live life again in foreign and sometimes unfriendly lands, to those who found their new homes, and to those who didn't make it in their attempts. Your courage will not be forgotten."

The narrative in this book is shared from two perspectives as the title implies - then and now. Look at these lines:

"Knock, knock, knock. We hide under the table."

"Knock, knock, knock. We open the door to welcome our guests."

These two highly contrasting responses to a knock at the door could form the basis of your introduction and preliminary discussions with a class before you read the whole book.

Or you could use this line "The smell of food is a distant memory." Talk about why the boy might say this. Discuss the difference between hunger and words you might use such as I'm hungry. Where in the world past or present might a child experience desperate hunger and starvation as the illustration shows? Talk about food as an important part of culture.

For more ideas take a look at this page from the publisher and here are some simple art ideas.

The way the two colours are used in this book is so powerful. The blogger at Reading Opens Doors explains it this way: Sepia tones are used to illustrate the past and capture the history of where the children have come from. The emotions etched on the children’s faces convey a gamut of feelings – fear, courage, desperation, sadness, despair, hunger and pain. The use of space on the page serves to highlight the vulnerability of the children. Shades of blue with pops of colour represent “now”. In their new home the children celebrate their culture, honour their ancestors, take comfort in sharing a traditional meal with their neighbours and experience a sense of belonging, abundance, freedom and beauty in their new community.

It would be fantastic to experience some of the 'now' foods mentioned in this book: dim sum and char siu bao.

Here is an interview with Datsun Tran and here is an extract:

The way refugees are often depicted in news and media don’t usually show the humanity, other than the suffering. So I wanted to show refugees as people like you and I, people who have had to go through a really devastating event. The story is told through sensory triggers for trauma, and I wanted to show that these triggers can also change and fade away to more positive experiences.

And I found another interview with images of the illustrations.

You already know I have an opinion about endorsements on book covers but with your students it would be very worthwhile to research the three people who are quoted on the back cover of Then and Now - Behrouz Boochani, Abdul-Rahman Abdullah and Zeno Sworder (My Strange Shrinking Parents).

An astounding work of light and shadow, this poetic and profound book is a rare treasure. Zeno Sworder

The publisher of this book is Slingshot Books. The founder says: I seek to broaden the range of print material accessible to children and their grown-ups. It’s my hope that the growing Slingshot library helps raise curious, brave, loving and critically engaged people who are committed to collective liberation.

When I saw this book on a display at the announcement of the 2025 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Notables I picked it up, read it and declared - this will surely be one of the winners!

The CBCA Picture Book judges in their Notables report said this - I have added bold to some of the text for emphasis:

Drawing on Vietnamese refugee experiences, this layered narrative explores the power of memory through sensory detail. The minimal yet masterfully crafted text creates emotional resonance through transformed meanings where the same sounds carry profoundly different weight across time and place. Ink paintings, inspired by classical Chinese brushwork, employ contrasting colour palettes of evocative browns for the past and deep blues for the present. Strategic touches of full colour highlight some pivotal moments. The illustrations, merging traditional and contemporary techniques, integrate seamlessly with the text. The cover's metaphorical composition, where past and present selves reach towards a bright red lantern, symbolises enduring cultural identity. The thoughtfully designed endpapers introduce contrasting colour schemes that flow throughout this immersive story of survival and renewal.

I said this in a previous post about another one of the splendid notables - A Leaf called Greaf: "One of the things that I think is important in Picture Book judging, when we think about an award such as the one from the Children's Book Council of Australia - relates to the universality of the book. Is this a book that could be shared with a child in another English-speaking country? Is this a book that should travel beyond our shores? Would you be excited to see this Australian book for sale in London or New York. Is this a book that transcends and age classification? (You could read this book to a child aged 6 or 7 and equally to an older child or gift it to an adult). I can answer YES to all of those questions ... Also a fabulous picture book like this should expect readers to 'join the dots' - to have to think about the story and its deeper meanings."

Check out my Pinterest and here are some companion books:

Grandma's Treasured Shoes

My Strange Shrinking Parents

What you need to be warm