Simone

by Viet Thanh Nguyen, Minnie Phan (Illustrator)

From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and illustrator Minnie Phan comes an unforgettable story of a Vietnamese American girl whose life is transformed by a wildfire.

When Simone is awakened by her mom as a wildfire threatens their home, it is the beginning of a life-changing journey. On their way to take shelter in a high school gym, the family passes firefighters from a prison unit battling the fire. Simone’s mom tells her that when she was a girl in Viet Nam, she was forced to evacuate her home after a flood. Joined by other children sheltering in the gym, Simone, a budding artist, encourages everyone to draw as a way to process their situation. After a few days, Simone and her mom are able to return to their home, which is fortunately still standing, and her outlook has changed. As Simone begins creating a piece of art with one of her new friends from the shelter, she realizes that they too can be firefighters, dreaming and working for a more sustainable future. With a poetic, haunting family story by esteemed author Viet Thanh Nguyen and gorgeous art from Vietnamese American illustrator Minnie Phan, this powerful tale introduces an unforgettable young heroine who awakens to a new role fighting for her community and for the future of the planet.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Nature, Fiction, Family, Graphic Novels

50 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2024

About the author

Viet Thanh Nguyen was born in Vietnam and raised in America. He is the author of “The Sympathizer,” awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. His most recent book, “To Save and to Destroy,” explores the idea of being an outsider. He is also the author of the short story collection “The Refugees;” the nonfiction book “Nothing Ever Dies,” a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award; the children's book “Simone” along with illustrator Minnie Phan; the sequel to “The Sympathizer,” “The Committed;” the nonfiction book “A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial,” longlisted for the National Book Award; and is the editor of an anthology of refugee writing, “The Displaced,” as well as a co-editor of “The Cleaving: Vietnamese Writers in the Diaspora.” He is a University Professor and the Aerol Arnold Professor of English and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California and a recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim and MacArthur foundations. He lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ LA Times Festival of Books 2025 ✨

/ Friend of My Mind: Essays on Finding a Home in Literature
/ Sunday, April 27, 2025
/ 10:30 AM
/ Seeley G. Mudd 123

I will read anything Viet writes. Simone, named for his daughter, is the star of this children's book. For every Vietnamese American child living in Southern California, this book is for you. It teaches the importance of climate change in relation to wildfires. It teaches friendship and family. It's also just cute.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Minerva

[Bookishrealm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely beautiful! From the artwork to the acknowledgment of the work that the CDCR inmates did in 2020 to help manage the wildfires, this did not miss. The connection between Vietnamese refugees and then the Vietnamese community becoming refugees of sorts again with the next generation was such an interesting parallel and great way to capture the story and the connection between Simone and her mother. The contrast of black and white and the brief moments of color was handled brilliantly by Minnie Phan.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Viet Thanh Nguyen won the Pulitzer Prize for his 2015 adult novel The Sympathizer. Now he has penned a very different book that will move children and adults alike.

California wildfires drive Simone and her mother out of their house and into a shelter. Young Simone is frightened, but her mother reassures her that they will be all right, thanks to the helpers. Simone’s mother recollects a time when floods forced her family in Vietnam to flee, but — thanks to helpers — the entire family survived.

Clearly, this book, beautifully illustrated by Nguyen’s fellow Vietnamese-American Minnie Phan, will help reassure children who are facing natural disasters of whatever type. And this slender, beautiful book will remind all of us, of whatever age, that there are brave men and women out there to help us make it through.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Minerva in exchange for an honest review.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

With so much of the world on fire during the summer and autumn seasons, this book is very timely and will help children [and their adults] deal with what it means to deal with a large-scale fire, evacuation, and what happens afterward.

Told in an easily understandable way, and filled with gorgeous, soft pastel illustrations, this book, while simple in execution, packs a big punch in how the story is unfolded. It evokes calm in a time of distress and how important it is to remain calm and help those around us when experiencing something new. The note at the end, from the author and illustrator, enhances the story and will start a good question and answer time between the children and adults reading this.

I highly recommend this gorgeous, timely book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Viet Thang Ngugen, Minnie Phan - Illustrator, and Astra Books for Young Readers/Minerva for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Grace M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such an insightful window into the past. The book takes place with Simone, a young child, being evacuated from her home because of the California wildfires of 2020. This is then related back to her mother evacuating her home in Vietnam as a child due to floods when the dam was broken.
This book has great representation, especially because it is the children featured in the book who stress the importance of diversity in their creations of drawings at the gym where they stay during the fire.
This book has a great feeling of community and a positive outlook on the future.
Particular features I thought were interesting was the inclusion of the CDCR firefighters and the discussion of Global Warming.
I would recommend this book from preschool to second graders based on the illustrations, topics, and themes addressed.
This book was featured under award winning novels at Barnes and Noble, and the author is a Pulitzer Prize winner.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nguyen covers a lot in this story and doesn’t seamlessly. Beautiful illustrations and use of color, too.

[Vi Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that baby me would have loved to read.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers a topic that no others have, to my knowledge. Fleeing your home in the event of a natural disaster (wildfire, flood, etc.). The story was told with such honesty and passion, it is hard to not love it. Although this book contains a tough topic (wildfires and floods), it brings such awareness to certain situations where everyone steps in to help. The illustrations were done in colored pencil, graphite, and watercolor. They mostly are gray in color with slight pops of color until the end. I do think that K-3rd grade readers may have to ask adults for some explanation for this one. It jumps around from the story of the little girl, then to the story of the mom, and then it talks about how prisoners were used as firefighters...so it's a little deep. Beautiful and necessary nonetheless. (Diamond 25-26)

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book is amazing. It tells the story of a child who must evacuate because of the fires in California. This child’s mother had to evacuate Vietnam because of the floods decades years ago. This book connects both stories together and impart a of feeling of everything will be OK. The artwork is a master class. The effect of the colored pencils makes one feel like you’re looking at the children’s drawings. And then the masterful way in which the artist uses color between black and white and when they put in the little pops. The black-and-white for the fear in the craziness with the little hints of brighter things to come. And then full color when things are settling down and getting back to normal and finding happy. All total this book is amazingly well done and should be a contender for the next Caldecott.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A picture book of hope belongs in every K-5 school collection.
There is enough "meat" here for a teacher or parent to dig into.
Who is Fred Hampton? And why is he important?
Why does the author weave in the expression "You can't fight fire with fire?"
In what ways does the author inspire the reader to feel compassion for the fire fighters who were underpaid?
How does the author make the reader believe that children will grow up to build a better world?
The beautiful thing about this book is that the words and illustrations produce critical thinking, and believes in the capacity of school age children to discuss current events with a sense of wonder, compassion, and intellectual depth.

[Ashley Dang · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming and touching story about a Vietnamese girl whose life is changed when she experiences a wildfire. Simone is awakened by her mother and rushed out when a wildfire threatens her home. She experiences things she's never experienced and learns about her mother's life as a little girl in Vietnam who was forced to evacuate during a flood. This was truly such a sweet and beautiful story, and I absolutely adored it. It's got stunning art inside and the story itself is wonderful.

*Thanks Netgalley and Astra Books for Young Readers, Minerva for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[The Rampant Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of a young girl evacuating during a fire. Art and imagination help evacuees cope.

*was really glad that cat was shown safely at the end of the story

Thanks Net Galley and Minerva for the temporary ARC to review.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simone is abruptly awakened by her mom and told that they have to evacuate their house immediately. There is a wildfire in the hills above their neighborhood. She can choose “what’s important” to take with her, but she has to choose fast. Books, toys, art supplies – Simone fills a small backpack. She and her Má get in the car, and Simone observes the chaos around her: the burning hills, the other cars filled with people fleeing the fire, and the prisoners who have been tapped to become firefighters going towards the fire. Simone finds out that Má had to flee once before, when rains threatened to flood her village in Vîet Nam. Má also had to leave quickly, and she had to choose among her precious possessions which to take. Like her mother, Simone also chose her art supplies as the most precious.

It is striking to hear a child narrating the frightening experience of a natural disaster, and to hear about the parallel in her mother’s life at the same time. When Simone and Má arrive at the shelter, there are lots of other kids, and Simone uses her love of drawing to get kids creating – drawing their homes, pets and families. She takes the lead in rallying them to be “firefighters” in a different sense. An author’s note explains the inspiration of activist Fred Hampton: “You don’t fight fire with fire. You fight fire with water.” Ethereal colored pencil and graphite artwork in graphic panels and full page spreads condenses a lot of story into the picture book format. I think kids will be enthralled with the real life drama, and how a child has a part to play in keeping hope. And it was satisfying that the family and home remained intact for both her mother in Vîet Nam and Simone in California.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every library in a wildfire-prone area need to have this book...

Simone's mother urgently wakes her up one night to tell her to grab her most precious things in her "go-bag" and get in their car. They must evacuate their house because the wildfires burning the nearby hills are headed to their house. They reach an evacuation zone in a school gym where she meets other kids who have been evacuated. To keep themselves busy and empowered, Simone suggests they draw pictures of themselves, their homes, their families, and post them on the wall in the gym. When it is safe, Simone and her mother pass by homes burned down and return to their house - all safe and sound. In the back, the author explains his inspiration: the wildfires in California in 2020.

Viet writes this from Simone's point of view. This immediately engages the reader who listens to her traumatic experience. He brilliantly weaves in the story of Simone's mother's evacuation from a flooded area in Vietnam, giving her insight into the fear that Simone must feel. This experience makes the child pull up a resolve and gumption that she may not have realized she had.

Illustrations were done in color pencil, graphite, and watercolor with edits in Photoshop by Minnie Phan. They are well-done, with lots of blue (water) and red (fire) in all the right places. Simone's emotions are well-expressed on her face - confusion, aggravation, and caring spirit are present.

This would be very healing to use with kids who have experienced trauma from the recent spate of wildfires in North America. Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 2.

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of emotions for those who had to leave their native places and have to settle somewhere else far away. It is a story of a young little girl Simon and her life-changing journey, when she woke up by her mother due to the evacuation that proceeded from the wildlife fire. They have bene taken to the shelter home where simone mixed up with other children and they altogether draw the situation they are in. Her mother told her about her own past lufe when she had to leave Vietnam forcefully as the place she resided in was fully flooded.

This is the real life story of an author, of this picture book. It was shown as an unforgettable story of a Vietnamese American girl whose life was transformed by a wildfire. But in reality she is he, means it is the story of a boy in whose life most influencial person is his mother. And, they didn't left Vietnam for flood effects but by the "Fall of Saigon", a war prone situation during Vietnam war. I read his 'A Man of Two Faces' and that tells a lot about this. However, the most crumblesome thing was that never took hold of me was why all such people shifted to US, when the whole reason behind that years long war was US itself.

Illustrations were very amazing and expressive by Minnie Phan. This was an abstract of the real world inside of an author. This is a personal-development book as well as self-help.


My NetGalley review

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.

Pulitzer-prize winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen has written a kids picture book and it’s fantastic. Simone and her mother are awoken in the night by California wildfires and must flee for safety, not knowing when or if they can return to their home. There are so many things I love about this book. I love the play of water and fire and how even water can harm like fire. I love the idea that out of tragedy, friendship and community can grow. Unsurprisingly, in Nguyen’s text there are so many tidbits to explore: the inclusion of the prisoners and chance at redemption, that Simone’s mother has not taught her daughter Vietnamese other than the sacred Má, how art can not only bring together but comfort those in times of need, the uses of color symbolism throughout. I love Phan’s watercolor illustrations tying all the themes together with her uses of monotone colors at the beginning and rainbow of colors at the end. Really, this is a wonderful book for kids and adults on how to handle emergencies and how to find hope in the aftermath. Don’t be surprised if this book is another award-winner for Nguyen.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

A remarkable story of bravery, hope, and working toward a better future.

Set during the 2020 California wildfires, the story follows Simone as she and her mother evacuate. Though Simone is scared, her mother helps calm her by recounting her own evacuation during a flood in Viet Nam. Using her mother's words, Simone inspires hope and action in the new friends she meets at the evacuation shelter.

The story recognizes the fear and uncertainty of such emergencies, but also highlights the power of individuals and groups to make a difference. The closing line was absolutely perfect and a wonderful way to bring hope to those worried about the future.

I loved the acknowledgement of the work of prisoners from the CDCR as volunteer firefighters during the real-life emergency.

The illustrations are beautiful with a soothing color palette. I loved the pops of color throughout that highlight hope, kindness, and action.

A timely read to inspire a new generation to create and collaborate, helping each other in times of need.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simone is Viet Thanh Nguyen’s latest published children’s book aimed at kids ages 5 to 9. It is a compelling read for young Asian readers with captivating illustrations that shed light on coping with natural disasters with special emphasis on friendships and community building towards a brighter future.

I appreciate the reassurance this book provides and its core message to young readers to find one’s inner strength during difficult times; and Simone does this quite creatively through her drawings and by brightly coloring in all the grays. Overall, I find this to be an inspiring read filled with hope that should be shared with the children in my neighborhood.

This title will be added to our Little Free Library for all to enjoy.


Thank you Astra House Publishing for my copy of Simone.

[Elena L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a wildfire threatens Simone's home in the Bay area, she and her mother need to evacuate to a shelter. Lead by her own creativity, memories of her mother (Má)'s childhood in Vietnam interweave with the narrative, delivering a beautiful story with evocative art. This book is utterly powerful, bringing awareness about the current (global) climate crisis and its impact in the environment and humanity. It makes me appreciate the nature and those who work hard to protect what we love. The incorporation of cultural elements in the story only reinforces the personal connection and highlights Nguyen's voice. With a hopeful tone, this inspiring picture book is a must read!

[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher Astra kids books . All opinions are my own ]

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, a little girl has to evacuate her home with her mother, due to wildfires in their area. Her mother shares about her childhood experience of evacuating from a flood in Vietnam, and the girl colors pictures at a community shelter, which helps her cope and make new friends. The illustrations are gorgeous and breathtaking, and I appreciate how the author shares powerful messages about family history, survival, art, and community without being too heavy-handed. The author's note at the end is also meaningful.

I received a temporary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A massive flood in Vietnam when mother was a small girl. A horrible wildfire in California now as she is a child. Scary stuff! Who is there to help in each disaster? And who will be there next time?
The illustrations by Minnie Phan are meaningful, imaginative, clear, and with the muted colors of pencil work.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, and especially to a school or teacher or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Annick Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available May 07, 2024

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional picture book about a young girl who is awoken in the middle of the night to evacuate her home due to an impending wildfire. Simone is, understandably, terrified but is comforted by stories from her mother who had to evacuate Vietnam as a young child due to flooding. Taking courage from her mother's example, Simone draws pictures to calm herself down and to help the other kids at the shelter as well. Illustrations make use of pops of color in otherwise greyscale illustration to call attention to particular details. This is a beautifully done book which is becoming essential reading.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique picture book about a young girl and her mother who must evacuate their California home because of a wildfire. The emergency evacuation reminds the girl's mother of evacuating her childhood home in Vietnam because of a flood. Art, community, and sharing histories help the children and adults cope with the challenges of temporary relocation. The illustrations are so beautiful and play with color and black and white to evoke emotions and highlight what feels important (like the firefighters and the pets and the toys left behind).

This book could help adults and children discuss fears about and experiences of displacement.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
I read a digital advance copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley
Simone and her mother must flee in the middle of the night due to wild fires. The evacuation reminds Simone's Vietnamese mother of a time when she too had to evacuate her home due to flooding. in the evacuation center (the high school gymnasium) Simone finds comfort in drawing and engages the other children as they draw the firefighters and their homes in order to calm and center themselves. Beautiful tones give a warmth to Simone and her mother.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Astra Books for Young Readers, Minerva for the copy of Simone by Viet Thanh Nguyen and illustrated by Minnie Phan. This is an amazing book for kids 5-9. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story is simple but illuminating. When Simone and her mother are forced to evacuate because of wildfires, Simone learns that her mom was forced to evacuate because of flooding when she was a child in Vietnam. I’m going to buy a copy for the Little Free Library at the elementary school in my neighborhood. 5 enthusiastic stars.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very relevant book right now. It is about a mother (Ma) and a daughter's (Simon) experience through the California Wildfires of 2020. While escaping the wildfire, Ma explains how she survived a flood in Viet Nam and how her family made it through. I really like how the book included how prisoner firefighters bravely fight fires too which I didn't learn about until recently. While the book avoids mentioning death due to these types of natural disasters, it is a very child appropriate book for children who are scared while being displaced from their homes.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique perspective about a child and her mother experiencing a California wildfire. The parent is Vietnamese American, and she tells her daughter about a flood and evacuation she experienced as a child. The girl makes friends in the fire shelter, and the kids talk about all aspects of their reality including recognizing that prisoners, BIPOC folks, and women can all be firefighters. The charred or fiery pages are balanced with the kids' colorful artwork which shows hope.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about coping with the California wildfires as seen through the eyes of a child who must evacuate with her mother to escape their fury. The story is factual. It is not designed to frighten, or scare a child. Instead it provides a means of fighting the fear that such evacuations engender by depicting the experience, and comparing it with the evacuation of her mother as a child when flood waters threatened her home.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

California wildfires are approaching. (How apropos with current fires in LA, California!) As Simone and her mother flee, Ma remembers fleeing like this, long ago, when she was a child in Vietnam. Simone and her mother reach a shelter and it is Simone who gets kids in the shelter to draw pictures of the firefighters who are working so hard to help them all. I love Simone’s realization that though she and the children are young, someday they can be the firefighters themselves, helping others.

[Veronika Rakchev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simone is a hopeful story that touches on global warming and natural disasters, particularly wildfires and floods and how they can impact people. Seeing this from a child’s perspective offered optimism and creativity in the face of uncertainty and fear. This is a great book to introduce kids to natural disasters and have them think about what is valuable to them and encourage creative problem solving to help deal with challenging situations.