The Endless Sea

"This moving, visually compelling story about one refugee family’s experiences is a powerful testament to fostering compassion and understanding." —The Horn Book (starred review)

This deeply personal story of a perilous crossing, movingly illustrated for a picture book audience, mirrors the plight of families around the world who endure global displacement.

This is the lyrical true tale of the author’s refugee journey with her family from Vietnam to the United Kingdom at just three years old, leaving home behind to set out in a tiny boat, first down a muddy river delta and then across the vastness of the sea. Spare, intimate, and rooted in specific history yet also profoundly universal, Chi Thai’s story is a reflection of crossings made daily in all corners of the world by families like hers who brave hunger, thirst, fear, and uncertainty in search of safety and a place to call home. With poetic text and warm, child-friendly illustrations from artist Linh Dao, this is the story of one remarkable family’s courage and resilience.Haunting but hopeful, this powerful picture book offers age-appropriate insights into the lives of refugees.
—Foreword Reviews (starred review)

This moving, visually compelling story about one refugee family’s experiences is a powerful testament to fostering compassion and understanding.
—The Horn Book (starred review)

A poignant reflection on one refugee’s experience.
—Kirkus Reviews

A poignant tale of resilience and hope in the aftermath of war and losing one's homeland.
—Booklist

An affecting story, a reminder that the refugee experience is unfortunately common enough to be believable even without all the details.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

[A] contemplative picture book.
—Publishers WeeklyChi Thai is an independent filmmaker, producer, and animation director and a three-time Cannes Lions finalist. This is her first book for children. She lives in the United Kingdom.

Dao Thuy Linh is an illustrator and animator. Originally from Vietnam, she is now based in in Brno, Czech Republic.