A child living in a Vietnamese refugee camp learns their first word in English with a little help from their teacher and grandmother in this heart-warming picture book based on the author’s childhood.
Many things are different for Ánh now that they’ve left Vietnam with their family. The weather is colder and they live in a communal barracks at a refugee camp while they wait for their new life in America to start. Ánh finds comfort in their warm-hearted teacher, Miss Mary Ellen, but has trouble with the foreign sounds of learning to speak English in class.
All Ánh wants is to be able to say “thank you” out loud to Miss Mary Ellen, but will the words ever stop getting stuck between their head and their voice? With a little inspiration from their grandmother—as well as the chance discovery of an adorable animal—Ánh will try to gather the courage to finally say their first word in a new language.
Exquisitely illustrated by Bao Luu, Ánh’s New Word by Hanh Bui is a hopeful story of finding your voice, inspired by true events from the author’s childhood.
Praise for Ánh’s New Word:
“This poignant tale is accompanied by charming cartoon artwork with simple textured backdrops, the warm palette adding to the emotional tone. … A touching account of courage and kindness.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A gorgeous and heartfelt book about family, new beginnings and the power of finding just the right word.” —Pat Zietlow Miller, New York Times-bestselling author of Be Kind
“A beautifully written, sweetly illustrated story about the challenge of living in a new country, the connection between student and teacher, and how the language of compassion and hope is universal.” —Rajani LaRocca, Newbery Honor-winning author of Red, White, and Whole
“A beautiful, compassionate story based on the author’s own childhood experiences as a refugee learning English, Ánh’s New Word shows how kind and caring adults can help a child find their voice. I highly recommend it!” —Trudy Ludwig, author of The Invisible Boy and Brave Every Day
“I had the great pleasure of being able to narrate Ánh’s New Word. It is such a beautiful story about learning a new language and eventually finding your voice. As someone who was extremely shy growing up, I could also highly relate to Ánh’s struggle, and I was so proud of them when they finally mustered up the courage to speak. I wish I had a book like this when I was growing up. I hope children today can listen along and be inspired by Ánh’s journey.” VyVy Nguyen, actor and narrator of Ánh’s New Word.
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