The book A Different Pond is written by Bao Phi, a renowned poet, and illustrated by Thi Bui, a graphic novelist. It is a lyrical, stirring story revolving around the story of a father and his son who are on a fishing trip in the wee morning hours. The story is based on Bao’s experiences of waking up early to accompany his father for fishing and his views of the future he thought his parents were shaping for him and his siblings.
Right from the beginning, Phi hints at his family’s dreadful straits. “In the Kitchen, the bare bulb is burning.” At this early stage and between pages 5 and 9, the reader can deduce that Phi’s dad has a second job, which explains why they wake up so early (Phi & Bui, 2017, pp. 5-9). Phi innocently inquires his father, “If you have another job. Why are we still fishing for food?” The author is able to make the reader understand the novel and its context right from the start.
This picture book would not have had a better illustrator than Thi Bui. She has created ethereal illustrations, seizing the groggy sense of waking up before the rising of the sun and integrating complementary rich blue and orange colors. These colors make it possible for Thi to highlight particular bits of every illustration. Thi inks the illustrations with what seems identical to gouache coloring, maintaining a modern, vibrant look while still hearkening back to traditional Vietnamese artwork. This technique is a stunning visual marriage between preserving tradition and living in a modern world, the two concepts explored in the text.
The book’s uniqueness is exemplified by the intermingling between the utilization of graphic novel elements by Thi and the traditional illustration of the picture book. On any given spread, the reader can discern various panels, offering a visual narrative literacy that brings out a beautifully designed lesson. It is common to wonder how the panel links are, which to read first and whether six identical images of a boy in a spread means six diverse characters. The reader can deduce that these images are all linked, and the image of the six boys in diverse locations across the spread illustrates the movement of Bao, a boy, throughout the page. Bao first collects sticks, proceeds to build a fire, and starts the fire. Deducing from the visual cues, it can be seen that they have identical clothes. This offers room for discussion of Bao’s activities in the scene. More so, young readers get an opportunity to rehearse their visual narrative knowledge by picking up contextual hints.
The panels permit the reader to discover their rhythm. Every panel is distinct and complete with its own emotions and story. Each of the panels is a smaller story existing in the broader story. This makes it possible for the reader to reflect on the activities that happen inside each. For example, in the left-hand corner, Bao’s street spread with a lone panel of him can be seen. Bao’s emotions are evident in this moment of driving to the pond. Whereas the text distorts itself and remains truthful, the reader can momentarily link with Bao with the close-up of his face.
In conclusion, while Different Pond can be said to portray a melancholy mood, how words and pictures work harmoniously leaves the reader with a gentle feeling. Particularly the feel and mood of the text are well captured in images owing to Bui’s prowess in graphic novels. This analysis helps show how the picture and mood interact and jog the reader’s mind to leave a gentle sensation.
Reference
Phi, B., & Bui, T. (2017). A Different Pond. Capstone Publishers.