This is a very moving and challenging book for any reader.

It tells the true story of the author's crossing by sea in a tiny boat from Vietnam to the UK, when she was just four years old.

It's a very personal account and is an important testimony, reminding us that individuals and families are continuing to make journeys like this all over the world, every day.

The illustrations are vivid and poignant in their realism. The vast, dark sea is daunting and dangerous.

The text is simple and sparse but powerful, conveying the gamut of emotions - the tension and fear, the love and loss, the longing and sense of hope. 

This book has been included on the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration for 2026.