Bibliographic Information:
- Title: The Magic Fish
- Author: Trung Le Nguyen
- ISBN: 978-1984851598
- Publisher: Random House Graphic
- Copyright Date: 2020
Genre [Format of the Title] :
- LGBTQ+, Magical Realism, Fantasy, #OwnVoices, Graphic Novel [Hardcover Book]
Awards or Honors :
- Rainbow List: Top Ten LGBTQ Books for Children and Teens, Commended 2021
- Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Commended 2021
- Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable Children’s Book, Commended 2021
Reading Level/Interest Level:
- Appropriate for Grades 7-12 according to TeachingBooks.net; Amazon.com states Age 14+
Plot Summary:
The Magic Fish introduces us to Tien who reads fairy tales to his mother to help her with her English acquisition. Tien’s mother escaped Vietnam during the American war in Vietnam that destroyed millions of Vietnamese lives and tore families apart. Stories of various fairytales are intertwined with the real story but one can get lost in the fairytale itself as each is a parable relevant to Tien’s current life situation. Tien also wants to let his mom know he’s gay but the timing is never right so he continues to weave fairytales to make himself feel better. Three story strands intertwined throughout: the fairytales, Tien’s, and his parents’ narrative.
The Magic Fish introduces us to Tien who reads fairy tales to his mother to help her with her English acquisition. Tien’s mother escaped Vietnam during the American war in Vietnam that destroyed millions of Vietnamese lives and tore families apart. Stories of various fairytales are intertwined with the real story but one can get lost in the fairytale itself as each is a parable relevant to Tien’s current life situation. Tien also wants to let his mom know he’s gay but the timing is never right so he continues to weave fairytales to make himself feel better. Three story strands intertwined throughout: the fairytales, Tien’s, and his parents’ narrative.
Author Background:
Trung Le Nguyen was born in June 1990 in the Philippines in a refugee camp in Palawan. He currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with three hens (Nguyen, n.d.). He is very attached to his chickens: Beatrice, Letty and Edwina and they live with Nguyen and his partner who is a health care worker (Penguin Random House, 2020). When Nguyen was growing up, he and his parents would read fairy tales to each other partly as a way to learn English, much like his characters in this book.
Nguyen was fascinated with cartoons and comics, too, and knew that this medium required the artist to be able to convey multiple meanings in the iconography without the requirement of the text to accompany the art. Several people must ask him about using his art for tattoos as he has an FAQ dedicated to answering questions about tattoos. He loves the public library and his earliest memory was asking his mother to leave him in the library when he was in first grade. He felt it important to include his positive experience in libraries and with librarians in his debut graphic novel (Penguin Random House, 2020).
Trung Le Nguyen was born in June 1990 in the Philippines in a refugee camp in Palawan. He currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with three hens (Nguyen, n.d.). He is very attached to his chickens: Beatrice, Letty and Edwina and they live with Nguyen and his partner who is a health care worker (Penguin Random House, 2020). When Nguyen was growing up, he and his parents would read fairy tales to each other partly as a way to learn English, much like his characters in this book.
Nguyen was fascinated with cartoons and comics, too, and knew that this medium required the artist to be able to convey multiple meanings in the iconography without the requirement of the text to accompany the art. Several people must ask him about using his art for tattoos as he has an FAQ dedicated to answering questions about tattoos. He loves the public library and his earliest memory was asking his mother to leave him in the library when he was in first grade. He felt it important to include his positive experience in libraries and with librarians in his debut graphic novel (Penguin Random House, 2020).
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Trung Le Nguyen talks about his name.
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Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items:
First, the art in The Magic Fish is skillfully rendered. The lines are crisp and clean and remind me of delicate pencil drawings. The color palette is limited and confirmed by the author in an interview (McMillan, 2020). The fairytales intertwine with the present story of Tien and flashbacks to the past memories that his mother recalls of her life in Vietnam and her escape during the war. In the flashbacks, the Cinderella fairytale has different iterations depending on who is telling the tale. To distinguish between the multiple story lines, Nguyen uses a limited color palette of which each is designed to color-code a particular narrative. His mother’s story is always in muted browns and earth tones, the fairytales are often in royal blue, and Tien’s story is in reddish-pink.
At its core and intertwined with the protagonist’s coming out story is an immigrant story that's difficult to tell because the voice of the immigrant, like that of the little mermaid is missing, unintelligible or muted. Nguyen captures that voice, makes it heard, and through this book, gives us another view of the immigrant experience, all its painful challenges and its triumphs.
First, the art in The Magic Fish is skillfully rendered. The lines are crisp and clean and remind me of delicate pencil drawings. The color palette is limited and confirmed by the author in an interview (McMillan, 2020). The fairytales intertwine with the present story of Tien and flashbacks to the past memories that his mother recalls of her life in Vietnam and her escape during the war. In the flashbacks, the Cinderella fairytale has different iterations depending on who is telling the tale. To distinguish between the multiple story lines, Nguyen uses a limited color palette of which each is designed to color-code a particular narrative. His mother’s story is always in muted browns and earth tones, the fairytales are often in royal blue, and Tien’s story is in reddish-pink.
At its core and intertwined with the protagonist’s coming out story is an immigrant story that's difficult to tell because the voice of the immigrant, like that of the little mermaid is missing, unintelligible or muted. Nguyen captures that voice, makes it heard, and through this book, gives us another view of the immigrant experience, all its painful challenges and its triumphs.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
Fairytale night! I’ve always wanted to host a fairytale evening where students get to read and share their favorite fairy tales as well as their originally written tales. The library could host a writing/drawing workshop where students can get together and just write (and/or draw), then give them the platform to share their writing.
Fairytale night! I’ve always wanted to host a fairytale evening where students get to read and share their favorite fairy tales as well as their originally written tales. The library could host a writing/drawing workshop where students can get together and just write (and/or draw), then give them the platform to share their writing.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer:
Reading fairy tales is a fun way to learn English and sometimes, it's also a way to remember your past. But what if you can use fairytales not just as a way to bond with your parents but as a way to share deeply held secrets? What will that fairy tale reveal? Find out what Tien will do and how the fairytale ends. It’s not what you’d expect.
Reading fairy tales is a fun way to learn English and sometimes, it's also a way to remember your past. But what if you can use fairytales not just as a way to bond with your parents but as a way to share deeply held secrets? What will that fairy tale reveal? Find out what Tien will do and how the fairytale ends. It’s not what you’d expect.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
The book is quite clean (no profanity, nudity, or subjects requiring parental oversight). There is reference to conversion therapy when Tien is taken to the principal’s office but the book makes it clear that this is not an acceptable option. I would refer parents to the Trevor Project if they have more questions about this. As librarians, we should be prepared to defend graphic novels like The Magic Fish which deal with LGBTQ+ issues. Refer to AASL Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries for specific suggestions for how to handle challenges (American Association of School Librarians, 2020).
The book is quite clean (no profanity, nudity, or subjects requiring parental oversight). There is reference to conversion therapy when Tien is taken to the principal’s office but the book makes it clear that this is not an acceptable option. I would refer parents to the Trevor Project if they have more questions about this. As librarians, we should be prepared to defend graphic novels like The Magic Fish which deal with LGBTQ+ issues. Refer to AASL Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries for specific suggestions for how to handle challenges (American Association of School Librarians, 2020).
Reason for Inclusion:
Fairy tales fascinate me and I love how he weaves the typical Hans Christian Anderson tale of the Little Mermaid in a Vietnamese setting with an ending that’s a pleasant surprise. Students who love manga will likely love this one.
Fairy tales fascinate me and I love how he weaves the typical Hans Christian Anderson tale of the Little Mermaid in a Vietnamese setting with an ending that’s a pleasant surprise. Students who love manga will likely love this one.
REFERENCES
American Association of School Librarians. (2020, August 11). Defending Intellectual Freedom. National School Library Standards. https://standards.aasl.org/project/lgbtq/
McMillan, G. (2020, March 6). How a cartoonist found inspiration for 'The Magic Fish'. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/how-trung-le-nguyen-found-inspiration-magic-fish-1283013/
Nguyen, T. L. (n.d.). About the Artist. Trungles. http://www.trungles.com/about-the-artist
Penguin Random House. (2020, October 29). Trung Le Nguyen, comic book artist, illustrator, and author of THE MAGIC FISH | Books Connect Us [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/ekMKT3bDp6Q
TheTrevorProject.org. (2020, December 8). About conversion therapy. The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/trevor-advocacy/50-bills-50-states/about-conversion-therapy/
TeachingBooks.net. (2020). Audio Name Pronunciation Trung Le Nguyen. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/qlci2fx
McMillan, G. (2020, March 6). How a cartoonist found inspiration for 'The Magic Fish'. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/how-trung-le-nguyen-found-inspiration-magic-fish-1283013/
Nguyen, T. L. (n.d.). About the Artist. Trungles. http://www.trungles.com/about-the-artist
Penguin Random House. (2020, October 29). Trung Le Nguyen, comic book artist, illustrator, and author of THE MAGIC FISH | Books Connect Us [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/ekMKT3bDp6Q
TheTrevorProject.org. (2020, December 8). About conversion therapy. The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/trevor-advocacy/50-bills-50-states/about-conversion-therapy/
TeachingBooks.net. (2020). Audio Name Pronunciation Trung Le Nguyen. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/qlci2fx
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