One Step at a Time

December 10, 2012
In this true-life historical tale of overcoming adversity, Skrypuch continues the story of Tuyet, an eight-year-old Vietnam­ese refugee and polio survivor with a damaged leg, whose rescue she narrated in Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan’s Rescue from War. Adopted by an unconditionally loving and supportive Canadian family, unable to understand or express much in English, Tuyet begins a difficult journey through surgeries and arduous physical therapy to repair her leg. Because her harrowing experiences in Vietnam are referenced only in her nightmares or fearful reactions to ordinary events, readers unfamiliar with the first book may need additional explanation to understand the history of the Vietnamese airlift and how Tuyet came to Canada (the lack of a preface or synopsis of Tuyet’s earlier experiences is problematic). Back matter includes information about polio and Canadian hospital procedures in the 1970s, as well as a resource list. While Tuyet’s quiet perseverance is inspiring, the book’s simple language and design, which includes b&w historical photos presented in unadorned fashion with the briefest of captions, give it a dated quality that may lessen its appeal for today’s readers. Ages 8–12.

November 15, 2012
New in Canada and unable even to understand the language, Tuyet faces a painful operation to straighten an ankle bent by polio years earlier in Vietnam. Skrypuch continues the story she began in Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan's Rescue from War (2012), but it's not necessary to have read the first to appreciate this true story of healing. Drawing on her subject's reminiscences, the author describes Tuyet's operation and subsequent recovery with sympathy and respect. Although this takes place in 1975, it seems immediate. Seven-year-old Tuyet secretly dreams of being able to kick a ball and play with other children. As long as she can remember, she has only been able to watch. Shortly after her adoption by the Morris family, a Vietnamese-speaking woman comes to explain that she will be having an operation. After, another Vietnamese speaker visits her in the hospital and gives her a piece of paper with Vietnamese and English words she can point to when she needs something. Otherwise, this brave child endures this frightening experience without the ability to communicate. Her eventual joy at having red shoes that match and, even better, a brace and ugly brown built-up shoe that allow her to stand on her own two feet, is infectious. Readers of this moving refugee story will celebrate as well. (Nonfiction. 9-12)

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February 1, 2013

Gr 4-6-In this continuation of Last Airlift (Pajama Press, 2012), eight-year-old Tuyet is now adjusting to life with her Canadian adoptive family, the Morrises. She is uneasy about sleeping alone after years in a crowded orphanage and is troubled by recurring nightmares of the war. In addition to the trauma she has endured, Tuyet suffers from the painful effects of having had polio. One of the book's many touching scenes occurs when Mrs. Morris buys the child her first new footwear. She delights at the prospect of getting shiny red shoes, even though the left one could not be worn, due to her shrunken leg and twisted foot. Her mother does not give up until she finds a soft, red slipper that fits over Tuyet's left foot, making the pair complete. Skrypuch only describes Tuyet's first operation and subsequent therapy, and her first steps using a leg brace, an orthopedic shoe, and crutches. In her notes, she details five additional surgeries, ending with the operation that made the child's legs the same length. To capture accurate details more than three decades after these events happened, the author interviewed Tuyet's two adoptive sisters, her surgeon, and the hospital archivist as well as Tuyet herself. A historical note about the eradication of polio in North America and suggestions for ways to help make universal vaccination a reality are appended. The black-and-white cover photo of Tuyet's face looking apprehensive and earnest is of a better quality than the handful of rather grainy ones in the text. An inspiring story that will appeal to a wide audience.-Deborah Vose, Highlands Elementary School, Braintree, MA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2012
Grades 4-8 In this sequel to Last Airlift (2012), Vietnamese orphan Tuyet, now rooted and happy in her adoptive Toronto family, is terrified of the surgery she has to undergo to straighten her leg and ankle, which were left twisted from the polio she contracted in Saigon. As she lies in the hospital recovering from the operation, her leg in cement, she is haunted by nightmares of the past and by her fear of losing her present home. Is there something she has done to upset Mom and Dad? Are they sending her away? Unable to speak English, she cannot ask for help in the hospital, and her confusion about what is happening now forms the story's drama. Occasional black-and-white photos show Tuyet at home in Toronto with her loving parents and siblings. Along with the true personal story, the facts about polio across the globe, past and present, will grip readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)