My First Book of Vietnamese Words

July 24, 2017
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. An opening note details the differences between the Vietnamese and English alphabets, as well as how diacritical marks affect the pronunciation of vowels. Although the Vietnamese alphabet has 29 letters and doesn’t include f, j, w, and z, Tran uses the familiar 26 English letters as she moves through the alphabet; the rhythms of the verse can be somewhat rocky (“I is for Ít./ Filled with coconut and mung bean/ is a rice flour ball/ in a banana leaf so green”), and the Nguyens’ scenes of Vietnamese life are somewhat stiff and posed. But supplemental cultural details, included in brief asides, add valuable context to a book with few competitors on bookstore shelves. Ages 3–8.

August 1, 2017

K-Gr 3-This book by the team that produced the award-winning Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories, provides cultural tidbits, values, and traditions in captions, with rhymes (and occasionally strained meter) in large type for young readers. There are two pages of pronunciation help, though no mention of the six possible tones that combine with the diacritics. As with other related books from the publisher (My First Book of Hindi Words), images and boldface type allow readers to connect the Vietnamese word with its English meaning, and a word list at the end confirms the association. The clear, delicate line-and-color illustrations in soft neon depict smiling children, usually enjoying food or play. VERDICT 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.-Patricia D. Lothrop, formerly at St. George's School, Newport, RI

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