RIDE / ĐẠP XE

Two stories are told in parallel: scenes of a dad with his child, rendered in mostly blue with English dialogue, and scenes depicting a mother and her child, portrayed in a yellow and sepia palette, in Vietnamese. Both kids are learning to ride a bike—a process marked by falls and tears of frustration. Phi’s succinct stanzas are composed entirely of tender dialogue between parent and child. Both kids start out apprehensive, and each even briefly gives up. Yet with the parents’ persistent encouragement, both are eventually able to ride independently, making the kids’ triumph feel all sweeter. Laudably, both adults also give their little ones room to struggle and even fail. The dialogue in both stories is essentially identical, with the mother and child’s Vietnamese followed by English translations in parentheses. It’s only when the father and child walk home that both stories converge, the house being a color blend of both palettes. Bui’s minimalistic illustration style with soft blurred spots of color and lined textures deftly complements the dialogue, creating a tone of warmth. As the child asks Dad who taught him to ride, the picture of the father as a boy with his mom can be seen on a nearby mirror.