**Winner of Creative Child Magazine 2015 Book of the Year Award**
**Winner of Moonbeam Children's Book Awards 2015 Gold Medal**
This colorfully illustrated multicultural children's book presents Vietnamese fairy tales and other folk stories-providing insight into a rich literary culture.
Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories is a charming collection of fifteen tales as told by prominent storyteller Tran Thi Minh Phuoc. In it, Tran-Minnesota's first Vietnamese librarian and an active member of the Vietnamese-American community-recounts cherished folktales such as "The Story of Tam and Cam" (the Vietnamese version of Cinderella), "The Jade Rabbit," and "The Legend of the Mai Flower." They make perfect new additions for story time or bedtime reading. With beautiful illustrations by veteran artists Nguyen Thi Hop and Nguyen Dong, children and adults alike will be enchanted by Tran's English retellings. Stories in which integrity, hard work and a kind heart triumph over deception, laziness, and greed-as gods, peasants, kings and fools spring to life in legends of bravery and beauty, and fables about nature.
The Children's Favorite Stories series was created to share the folktales and legends most beloved by children in the East with young readers of all backgrounds in the West. Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories will keep Vietnam's folktales alive for them and the legions of young readers who enjoy multicultural children's books and stories set in faraway lands.
Other multicultural children's books in this series include: Asian Children's Favorite Stories, Indian Children's Favorite Stories, Indonesian Children's Favorite Stories, Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, Singapore Children's Favorite Stories, Filipino Favorite Children's Stories, Favorite Children's Stories from China & Tibet, Chinese Children's Favorite Stories, Korean Children's Favorite Stories, Balinese Children's Favorite Stories..
Industry Reviews
"Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories is a great example of what I often refer to as a parent's 'snuggle book.' This book with its magical stories provides the perfect invitation for parents to snuggle with their child to read and let their imaginations soar as they enter into a land and culture of untold Vietnamese generations." --Adoption Today Magazine
"This story collection provides an opportunity for children of Vietnamese origin to find out more about the beauty and depth of the culture of Vietnam, through stories full of self-nation, and is an opportunity for families of Vietnamese origin and transmission of conservation treasure tales Vietnam for the next generation." --Nguoi Viet Daily News
"Phuoc Tran's stories remind us of the depth and beauty of Vietnamese culture. The folktales help heal us all from the tragic history of the Vietnam War and bring the deep enduring cultural traditions back into the light to be shared by all." --David Zander, Cultural Anthropologist, Co-Founder of Asian Storytellers Alliance
"The stories reflect the traditions, myths, and history of Vietnam, with trees and flowers frequently serving symbolic purposes. Works such as The Story of Tam and Cam, an adaptation of Cinderella, will be familiar to readers, while a story about why the sea is salty (it's due to a greedy man's magical salt grinder at the bottom of the ocean) will be new to many. The husband-and-wife Nguyens' modest watercolors include both spot illustrations and larger, ornamental images that fill pages and spreads, resulting in a graceful balance between text and pictures." --Publishers Weekly
"Attractive watercolor illustrations by two Vietnamese artists are scattered throughout, and the appealing cover should invite readers. A welcome addition to any collection of folk tales." --Kirkus Review
"The delicate and detailed watercolor illustrations elegantly enhance the appeal of this work. VERDICT A valuable and culturally authentic addition to folktale collections." --School Library Journal
"This well researched and lovingly written book is destined to be a children's classic." --Wendy Woodfill, Senior Librarian at Hennepin County Library, MN; Chair of the 2014 ALSC Notable Children's Books Committee