ÁNH'S NEW WORD

A Vietnamese child living in a refugee camp in America finds courage while learning English.

Ánh’s attempts to speak English while attending the camp’s school are stressful. The child tenses up, and “heat rises to my cheeks like when I bite into a tiny hot chili pepper.” But the teacher, Miss Mary Ellen, is reassuring: “Take your time…It’ll get easier.” Words such as thank you seem stuck within Ánh’s throat, and the child’s frustrations grow. Back home in Vietnam, Ánh was the student who had all the answers. Now fears of making mistakes keep the child silent. As the gentle narrative progresses, Ánh and Bà Nội (Grandmother) walk back to their barrack, and Bà Nội encourages the little one: “Vietnamese will always be our first language, but it’s good for us to learn English so we can speak with our American helpers. We’ll keep practicing.” In the camp store, Ánh discovers a Christmas sweater festooned with a reindeer, and the child’s perspective shifts. Excited by the new sweater, Ánh learns an English word and even says it aloud: reindeer. Bui reveals in the author’s note that this is in fact her own story and includes pictures of her grandma and the teacher whom Miss Mary Ellen is based on. This poignant tale is accompanied by charming cartoon artwork with simple textured backdrops, the warm palette adding to the emotional tone. Miss Mary Ellen presents white.

A touching account of courage and kindness.