Today's WHAT'S THE BUZZ title is set to celebrate its BOOK BIRTHDAY tomorrow with Random House Studio, but we're taking you between the pages today for a sneaky peek! It's a NEW Storybook that's filled with beauty, acceptance, tradition, and a healthy dose of edutainment for all. Let's get ready to meet this darling mother and daughter duo as we take a closer look at today's featured title...
by
Hà Dinh
Illustrated by
Yong Ling Kang
9780593711781
Random House Studio
Release Date: 04/15/25
About the book...
Although Tien loves the Vietnamese traditions her family celebrates, more than anything she wants to fit in at school and be just like her classmates. So, when all the girls start wearing brand-new sparkly bracelets, Tien tries to hide the simple jade bangle her mother gave her in memory of her grandmother. Now her bracelet looks like an old green thing and an embarrassed Tien runs home crying, flinging it on the floor. Her sympathetic mama understands and takes Tien to the shop to buy the popular bracelet. But at the last minute, Tien remembers her grandmother’s love and decides to wear her jade bracelet proudly.
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This is a beautifully touching story about family traditions.
Most families have something similar, even if they don't have it with them physically each day. It's an item that carries significant value beyond the monetary. These items can be big, small, or anywhere in-between, but what makes them all enormous is the connection they carry to our past, to the loved ones that came before us, and the memories they can bring to mind. Grant it, it doesn't truly take an item to do those things, but I get how the physical representation can make it that much more powerful, that much easier for wee ones to understand. Though our little leading lady wants to fit in more with her friends and their sparkly bits and bobbles, she comes to realize just how much more meaningful this simple and beautiful bracelet truly is. The ties to her family bring her strength, and help unlock her heart to the beauty of the tradition of which she is a part.
A great representation of edutainment brought to life with a kindness and gentleness that helps little ones understand the significance of something of which they are a part. This is a story that not only gives us a glimpse into Vietnamese heritage and the author's life, but brings us closer to those in our own families, and perhaps either a better understanding of where some traditions originated, or the spark to start our own.
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About the author...
Hà Dinh wanted to be an author from the moment she first held a book in her hands. In addition to her writing, she is the founder of the Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Blog and an educator. Hà hopes to inspire children to share their own stories and make a positive impact in the world. She lives with her husband and two children in Texas
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About the illustrator...
Yong Ling Kang was born in Malaysia and grew up in Singapore. Her formal education is in animation where she developed her love of storytelling. When she was a child, she remembers being given a special piece of jewelry as part of a family tradition. The illustrator of numerous picture books, Yong Ling Kang now lives in Toronto.
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Special thanks to Cynthia at Penguin Random House for the ecopy access for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title publishes tomorrow via Random House Studio, so be sure to mark your calendar and snag your copy!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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