Why this story?

The children's book industry has been paying more attention to BIPOC books in recent years with the goal of increasing representation. According to a 2021 statistical study on races by the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC), out of 3,190 U.S.-published children’s books, 34.7% of books were about BIPOC people or written/illustrated by BIPOC creators. Many of these books speak about the immigrant experience moving to the States.

As a young Vietnamese artist who immigrated to the U.S. with my family, I share some of the same experiences as the books mentioned above. But I notice there aren’t many books talking about being able to come back home and how that would feel to a kid. Stories of coming home have just as much emotion and importance as stories of having to leave home. The story and characters of Today’s the Day are roughly based on my experiences and my family members. I wanted to depict the emotions I felt and the memories I had growing up in Việt Nam with my family. Telling the story of coming home is important to me because my family culture is a big part of my identity. I’m grateful that my family is my family. They really inspired this story for me and it wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for the childhood memories I share with them.

While the story is based on my personal experiences, this was my first time fully illustrating and writing something of my own. I would like to thank my professor Alison Nowak for checking in with me on my work, providing feedback, and reminding me to take care of myself instead of just coloring spreads every week. My appreciation also goes to professors Kelsey King and Laura Lemanski for encouraging me to make something I’m passionate about, and for teaching me children’s books and how important they are to the world. On top of that, I am forever thankful to my dear MCAD friends who offered suggestions, feedback, snacks, moral support, and encouragement throughout my time working on this book. No matter where your home is, I hope you have people who will always have your back and support you unconditionally.