"100 imaginative boats"

“100 Boats” (Kim Dong Publishing House, 2025) is a children's novel by author Phat Duong. This is the second part of the novel “100 Windows” (2022), continuing to take readers on a mysterious and exciting adventure. This time, the destination is a magical floating market with 100 boats bobbing on the river…

In the first part, when the epidemic breaks out, 13-year-old Viet Trinh is sent by her parents to live with her grandmother, the "greatest witch in the world," while they participate in the fight against the epidemic. Her grandmother's castle has 100 magical windows that can lead to other dimensions. Viet Trinh befriends a boy named Tinh, and together they open a bakery and use the 100 magical windows to deliver goods and help people during the epidemic.

"100 Boats" continues the story as Trinh and Tinh follow the trail of the smoke cat and the prophecy to find a mysterious person who can help them find medicinal herbs. Trinh's mother accompanies the two children to the magical floating market, where they are repeatedly attacked by strangers while collecting herbs. Ferocious sea monsters are summoned, leading to unprecedented battles...

Based on the characteristics of the floating markets of the Mekong Delta, the author has created a market that is both familiar and strange in a magical world . Familiar because this market has trading boats on the river, with poles displaying goods. Strange because it opens up a fantastical space with countless interesting things: laughing fish porridge, whimpering peppers, salty sugarcane juice, experiential fruits, rain-calling vines, sun-summoning trees… giving diners vivid experiences. This market also combines water hyacinths and lanterns to create the "Velvet Lanterns" with purple light, making the river even more shimmering and magical at night; the main ferry area is made up of many small ferries, each ferry serving as a stall; the World's Rarest Botanical Garden with many rare medicinal herbs… Especially noteworthy is the Striped Water Hyacinth, a giant aquatic monster used to transport people and goods on the river.

One hundred boats, each not just a place for trading like in a normal floating market, but also a magical gateway that leads the reader on a new and exciting adventure with two young friends. Here, Trinh and Tinh befriend Tram, a girl who guards the herb garden, and a cat with the ability to transform into smoke. Having just escaped an attack by Mr. Trung and his amphibious dragon, the three must now confront Mrs. Huong and her giant snake. When they are exhausted, they receive help from a friend and Trinh's father. The battle is intense, filled with fantastical and unique magic. From here, the group of friends discover more mysteries about prophecies and related animals…

Compared to "100 Windows," "100 Boats" shows a clear development in Phat Duong's writing style and imagination. The vivid descriptions and lively illustrations transport readers into a captivating fantasy world. The story concludes with many unanswered questions, leaving readers eager for the next installment.

Writer Phat Duong was born in 1995 in Bac Lieu and currently lives and works in Can Tho . He is a member of the Vietnam Writers Association and the Can Tho City Writers Association. He has published numerous collections of short stories, novels, and poetry.

In 2022, Phat Duong first published his children's book "100 Windows". In 2025, he successively published four books for children: the novel "100 Boats", the novel "The Brown Sparrow Witch and the Lost Ring", the coloring book "Because I'm a Relaxation Ambassador", and the children's poetry "The Land of Water". In 2026, he just released the novel "The Witch Who Goes to Buy Scrap" (Fourth Prize at the 1st Kim Dong Literary Award).

CAT DANG

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/-100-chiec-ghe-giau-tri-tuong-tuong-a202087.html