Drawn Together is a tremendous story about the generational, cultural and communication gap between a boy and his grandfather, and the shared love of art and storytelling that one day bridges the profound chasm between the two. The story’s words and art are richly nuanced and layered and there’s a lot to feel and process with this one, especially if you can relate with your own family relationships. Even if that’s not the case, it’ll still be a beautiful, moving and deeply impactful read.
From author Minh Lê on what inspired Drawn Together:
“Drawn Together was inspired by the relationship with my grandparents, but especially my paternal grandfather. There was always a language gap between us — my Vietnamese unfortunately peaked when I was about 5 — so I often felt that our relationship was defined by all the things that we couldn't say to each other. In talking to Dan, he actually had a similar relationship with his grandmother, so he was coming from a similar place. This book is about the desire to find common ground with someone despite the things that may initially separate you, whether that's a language gap, a generational divide, or cultural differences. In this case, when the grandfather and grandson discover a mutual love of art, they ‘see each other for the first time’ and can finally bridge the divide that had been separating them. It's been very heartwarming to share this story and very humbling to then have people share their own stories about their relationships with their loved ones. I hope that this book resonates with readers and maybe even inspires a few to find new connections with the important people in their lives. Happy reading!”
Drawn Together was written by Minh Lê, illustrated by Dan Santat and published by Disney-Hyperion. It’ll be out on June 5.
