I am so humbled and honored that A Different Pond is in the good company of the books being celebrated tonight. It’s like lingering at the school drop-off gate and watching your kid playing with new friends. It’s a sweet, reassuring feeling that things are gonna be alright.

I want to thank the authors and illustrators who have welcomed me into the field, either personally or by setting an example for me to aspire to. I really hope to add to this culture of mutual support as I stick around and make more books.

I would also like to thank Capstone and other publishers who take a chance on new creators and new combinations of writers and illustrators. There’s so much we haven’t tried, and the possibilities are endless and exciting! To all the people who make sure that our books get out there and into the right hands, thank you so much.

I’d like to thank my family, both blood and chosen, for their love and support as I embarked on a risky life of freelancing and book touring. This artist life is pretty weird, and I love it so much.

Finally, I’d like to thank my co-creator, Bao Phi, for having one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever met and bravely wearing it openly for everyone to see and learn from. I’m so glad we got to make this book together, and I’m so proud of you.

From the January/February 2019 issue of The Horn Book Magazine. Read A Different Pond author Bao Phi's speech here. For more on the 2018 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, click on the tag BGHB18.