Mai's Áo Dài

By Thai Nguyen, Monique Truong, Dung Ho (Illustrator)

Mai learns the true magic of tradition and love on Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 123 ratings

40 pages

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

On Tet, Mai dreams of being a star in her sparkly dress, but her father suggests a traditional áo dài instead. Disappointed, Mai learns from her grandmother, Ba Noi, about the true stars who wore áo dài. As Ba Noi's eyesight fades, she shares that love, like the áo dài, is felt, not seen. Will Mai embrace her heritage and discover the magic of tradition?

From the publisher

Celebrity fashion designer Thai Nguyen from Netflix’s Say I Do joins forces with bestselling author Monique Truong and illustrator Dung Ho in this irresistibly charming picture book about embracing your heritage and the traditions that tie generations together–centered around Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. 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.

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