My First Book of Vietnamese Words is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces Vietnamese language and culture to young children through everyday words. This Vietnamese children’s book teaches in a playful way-combining the familiar ABC rhyming structure with vivid illustrations to encourage young children’s natural language learning abilities. Words kids use every day in English are joined by words unique to Vietnamese culture to give kids a glimpse of Vietnamese life and to show how, despite cultural differences, children the world over have a lot in common. Linguistic and cultural notes are added to enhance the kids’ adventure in a land that’s modern yet filled with wonderful traditions.

My First Book of Vietnamese Words has won an Honorable Mention in the Children’s Literature category of Columbia University’s 2017 Freeman Book Awards for Children’s and Young Adult’s Literature on East and Southeast Asia.

Despite the challenges of Vietnamese language and uncertain meter, this book is a lovely tribute to a culture and its people. A valuable addition to a language and geography collections.
-School Library Journal

Readers gain a useful introduction to the Vietnamese language, alphabet, and culture in this companion to similar books on Indonesian, Chinese, Korean, and other Asian languages… supplemental cultural details, included in brief asides, add valuable context to a book with few competitors on bookstore shelves.

-Publishers Weekly