Mai’s Áo Dài
Written by Thai Nguyen
and Monique Truong
Illustrated by Dung Ho
Published by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
It’s the morning of Tet, and Mai can’t wait to celebrate at her beloved grandmother’s home. With the perfect dress: a poofy, sparkly Cinderella dress that makes Mai look like the movie star she dreams of being! But when Mai’s father suggests that she wears an áo dài, a traditional Vietnamese outfit, to her Ba Noi’s party, Mai is disappointed. Stars don’t wear áo dài, she thinks. Then Ba tells her the story of a true star, her very own Ba Noi, who sewed beautiful, highly sought-after áo dài in Vietnam and brought her magic with her when she immigrated to the United States.
So maybe stars wear áo dài after all! But how can Ba Noi know what Mai’s wearing when Ba Noi is losing her eyesight? Ba tells her every áo dài is sewn with love, and the beauty of love is that you don’t need to see it to know it’s here.
Primary ISBN: 9781665917346
Publication Date: January 2025
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older
Community Represented: Vietnamese/Vietnamese American
Themes: Arts, Celebrations: Lunar New Year, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Celebrations & Traditions, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Clothing, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Family, Family Relationship: Grandparents, Family Relationship: Parents, LGBTQIA+, Multilingual: Vietnamese Featured Words, Own Voices/Lived Experience
Setting: Unspecified (Western Country)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 2nd Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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