A cute little story about finding inner strength in the face of adversity, it's imaginative and has excellent art work. It's a little thin on material and impact, but it works for the intended age group.

An illuminating and lovely way of tackling bullying and gender presentation. I loved how inclusive the narrative was consistently.

I was so excited about receiving an ARC of this new book by Bao Phi from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I loved A Different Pond and so I was thrilled to get to see what Bao Phi did next.

I am torn about this one !
-I really love the way Bao thinks carefully about stories (the author’s note made me appreciate the book much more) and how he works to put affirming and empowering stories into the world.
- I loved that the main character had a sense of curiosity, and also the up and down swings of big feelings
- I love that the main character had two mommas, who were supportive and imaginative with her

- I didn’t love how clunky and discombobulated the story felt for me at times. It was ambitious (but a cool idea!) to take on imaginary animal play, a frustrated moment after feeling bullied in the real world, and this repetitive and simple “my footprints!” exclamation/refrain. Each one of those pieces felt like they could be in different books, and even sometimes felt like they mismatched to a degree in which they represented kids of different ages (especially the “my foot prints!” refrain, that felt like a toddler story or exclamation kept in because of the love of the idea but not of actual use to the story). I was hoping it would all come together for me, it never quite did.
- While I liked her big swing in emotions, I felt like it was a missed opportunity to illustrate navigating it or sorting out what wasn’t working. The main character yells at her moms and then a frame later its like nothing happened. I suppose that is often what happens in real life, but it felt abrupt in the build of such a short, but busy story.

There’s lots to enjoy and a few pieces I think ought to be worked out. That being said this one has potential and I’m super curious to see what others see or think about it!

Tran Basia is a very good illustrator. The images have a cool, dreamy look to them - going inordinately warm and orangey for mythical creatures dragon (global mythology), phoenix (Greek mythology) and sarabha (Sharabha, Hindu mythology).

The story aims to tie being bullied (at school?) for having lesbian parents to identity (Thuy's fixation all afternoon with footprints, and recreating footprints) and dreaming big and being close to nature and having a very active imagination to being okay with who you are and I don't know what else. It's either a bit too deep or too vague for me. Mr. Bao got the idea for the story from his daughter who exclaimed 'my footprints, my footprints' while walking in the snow. He says he then combined it with the kind of world he'd like his daughter to grow up in (the one with non-bullying) being the daughter of a 'straight cis-male' (gender is according to sex). Not to offend or anything but the creature conjured up on pg. 37 after the lovely words of Thuy (meant to show she desires a world where there'd be acceptance for all people, regardless of color or creed or gender or societal role or sexual orientation) is a monster - I mean, I got scared just looking at it.

The sentences are in very small letters (so production design is not readable by kids; this would make it a book to be read to kids, probably kids re-enacting and drawing the different kinds of footprints and a conversation with parent / guardian about being different). There are also no footprints of the leopard on pg. 13.

Interesting factoid: Thuy is pronounced as Twee. Ngoc as Ynyow.

Thuy is upset about being picked on and starts making the footprints of different animals in the snow and borrowing the strengths of each of those animals. The ornately descriptive text and beautiful illustrations add to to the charm of this timely and heartwarming story about discovering our own strengths. Recommended for the Kindergarten through Grade 3 crowd.

Thank you to Bao Phi, Captstone and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this story. All opinions are my own..

A very cute picture book about acceptance and confidence in yourself. LGPBT themes are not my choice of books but I did like the book.

Beautifully illustrated story of a young girl creatively dealing with her emotions after being teased. I love how she regains her confidence and joy with her fabulous imagination.

This beautifully-illustrated picture book features a Vietnamese-American girl with two mothers who is bullied at school and uses her footprints and those of other animals on her walk home to mirror her frustration.

This book was okay. It didn't tug at my heartstrings. The conflict was not well established, and you don't understand why she's being bullied until the near the end of the book. You just know that Thuy is grumpy and she's being bullied, but the "why she's bullied" isn't answered until much later. This made it hard for me to connect with her.

This story would have been stronger if we had an immediate emotional reaction from the start of the book.

I also was disappointed that this book wasn't infused with more Vietnamese cultural elements. It felt like Thuy could have been any ethnicity.

I think that this book is about bullying but I'm not sure. A young girl is made fun of and teased for having two moms and so she plays in the snow pretending to be big animals or monsters that would scare the mean children.

I'm not sure what it is about this book. There really isn't much objectively wrong with it. I just didn't love it.

Maybe it's the style of illustration. It's cute and helps tell the story... but it's not really a style I like.

Maybe it's the slightly vague message. I read the book after having forgotten what the synopsis said it was about, and I didn't really get the theme from the actual reading. At first, I didn't really see what making animal tracks had to do with overcoming bullying; it becomes more clear later, but I'd be afraid little kids might lose interest--or the point--by then.

Thuy's made-up creature is a little heavy-handed. I'm not sure a child as young as her (she's in the midst of losing her teeth, so she's likely in the 5-7 age range) would come up with a creature that's so representative of so many marginalized groups; as a result, that part comes across as the adult author speaking through his child character, and it's not subtle.

I'm also not a fan of third-person, present-tense writing. It doesn't disappear into the background enough, and I'm constantly aware of it... when I just want to be focusing on the actual story.

I can see this book working well for others with different tastes. Some people might like the artwork and the writing style and not be bothered by the vagueness of the message or the small child being used as a mouthpiece. But when I read a picture book, I want to forget I'm reading and just lose myself in the story. For me, this book has too many things that remind me that I'm just a reader looking in from the outside.

I read this aloud to my 5.5 year old - she gave it four stars (which I told her meant she liked it enough to get it from the library once it’s out, but not her most favorite book we have to buy), and I gave it 4.5, rounded up to 5.

I thought the art was amazing, I love to offer my kids diversity in books, and I loved how Thuy imagines herself as other creatures and her Moms help her to imagine herself as mythological creatures with the traits she might want to feel better when she is angry and how they help her be stronger together.

My Footprints (Hardcover)
by Bao Phi
September 1st 2019
by Capstone (first published 2019)
ISBN 139781684460007
A young child explores nature and the supernatural in her own footprints in the snow. Showing creativity, and cultural meanings from multiple cultures. This book is a great picture book to show how someone can creatively change their own environment.

An interesting book that has the intent to focus on the topic of bullying. I don’t know that it actually achieves that goal.
After getting picked on at school, Thuy comes home to her two moms. This is actually where the story feels disjointed from the beginning. Thuy is playing in the snow making footprints of various different creatures. Her mothers ask to join in and between the three of them they start sharing footprints of mythical creatures. This results in them creating their own creature combining their three names. That creature is special because it embodies the love they have for each other.
Lovely story and beautiful, details pictures to accompany. The beginning and end don’t match up though. My only problem and reason for lower rating.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Capstone, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Overly-worthy look at a girl tramping home in the winter snows after being bullied at school. At first she meets a bird, and can replicate its footprints in the snow, albeit in larger scale, but before we know it she has become some kind of master tracker-in-reverse, managing to imitate the footprints of any creature she cares to mention. And when she gets home to her pair of lesbian mothers they fantasise about mythological creatures they could all be, which might act as distraction to the girl but proves this book goes nowhere. I have no objection to the parents being same-sex, but if it creates a barrier for some of the audience in understanding or accepting the anti-bullying message, then it's a hindrance. And in the end the anti-bullying message fails, and I don't think many children will be convinced that it won't happen all over again the next day, however much our heroines have played let's-be-a-phoenix-in-the-snow. Like the distraction the parents offer their child, this will be a passing diversion for picked-on children (it certainly looks pretty enough), but won't unfortunately change the world a single bean.

I read a copy of this picture book from Capstone via NetGalley. From Caldecott Medal Nominated author Bao Phi comes another picture book that has a hopeful ending. An easily accessible story for K-2 grades that has a sassy approach to talking about bullying. Thuy and her two moms are in the snow and talking about animals and footprints. We see Thuy’s anger and sadness, but also strength and bravery as they each talk about their favorite creatures. The addition of informational text about the Phoenix and Sarabha was much appreciated. Nice illustrations.

My Footprints was a beautifully illustrated book about a young girl who has been bullied because she has two moms. Thuy and her moms decided to make their own footprints in the snow and talk about all different animals with their many strengths. Thuy then let her imagination soar and created her own rare and beautiful creature that was always kind and strong. Along the way, Thuy and her moms made their own footprints…of love.

Unfortunately, bullies exist.This is a good book to help children deal with their anger and sadness in a very imaginative way and should be included in a classroom library.

Thuy is a little Vietnamese American ray of pure sunshine. 💖🌞 

I don't know whether to gush about the kitty hat, the two mommies, the gorgeous illustrations, or how Thuy uses animals and their/her footprints to understand her emotions after being bullied at school for being different. This book is definitely going into my favorites collection. My birthday is in September (when My Footprints releases) so you can bet your 'snake butt' I'll be buying myself and my nephews this beautiful book. Thuy reminds us how simple love, acceptance, and the magic of imagination is in a child's eyes. It's perfect for cuddling up and reading to the small children in your life on a cold snowy day. 💕❄ 

***So much gratitude to Netgalley and Capstone for giving me the opportunity to find this little gem.***

This was a wonderful book! I cannot wait to share it with the children in my life!! Being a child who is bullied because of so many different things is not easy, but Bao addresses this with his sweet and sassy character and her moms beautifully while embracing her culture.

Thuy is a young girl who is picked on by classmates quite often because she has two moms. Walking home in the snow, she notices her own footprints. She also mimics the footprints of a cardinal, a deer, a cat, a grizzly bear, and an elephant. Her moms ask to play together with her and they are different mythical creatures, making new footprints in the snow. They eventually make up their own new creature, which combines their names and loves everyone. They jump together, making heart shaped footprints for this new creature.

This was a fun read. The illustrations are quite lovely and I enjoyed the story. Kids who feel different for one reason or another can relate to Thuy and learn that their imaginations can bring them joy.

This was a little confusing. The beginning was a little clunky and didn't really set up readers for the character's main conflict.

I do think the message is important and I love the aspects of culture the author included. The illustrations were wonderfully detailed and vibrant.