Shrimply Houston
By: Laura Gao
Story Summary
Twelve-year-old Thủy spends her mornings shrimping with her father in Galveston Bay, where they encounter Ángel, a boy from El Salvador new to the Houston area. Despite a language barrier and their fathers’ rivalry over fishing territory, Thủy and Ángel form an unlikely friendship, bonding over their shared immigrant experiences. However, their families face a larger struggle—shrinking demand for local shrimp threatens their livelihoods. As tensions rise, the two fathers stubbornly clash, but Thủy and Ángel find a solution: uniting Houston’s diverse immigrant communities to support their shrimping businesses. With creativity, determination, and a love for food, they prove that their families’ legacies can evolve rather than disappear.
About The Creators
Laura Gao
Texas
Laura Gao is a queer artist, author, bread lover, and continental drifter.
Originally from Wuhan, China, Laura immigrated to Texas where their art career began by doodling on Pokémon cards and has since blossomed to be featured on NPR, the Museum of Chinese in America, and most notably, their parents’ fridge. Having graduated with a degree in Statistics from the University of Pennsylvania, Laura became favorite child #2 of 2 when they decided to dive into the arts instead. Thankfully, their graphic memoir, MESSY ROOTS, debuted on the 2022 Indies Bestsellers List and has been shortlisted for the Harvey Awards and the Texas Maverick List. Besides drawing and fending off early-onset back pain, Laura enjoys biking through Ghibli-esque worlds and binging SNL.
