An interesting story about the journey of two little fishes to adulthood.

“The Adventures of Bella and Harry” - a literary work by author Nguyen Thi Thu Hien - a Vietnamese scientist living in Denmark, was born with the desire to “maintain speaking Vietnamese and reading Vietnamese books to children”, and is also a special journey for children growing up.

On July 26, in Hanoi , Kim Dong Publishing House organized an exchange, introduction and reading of the book "The Adventures of Bella and Harry" by author Nguyen Thi Thu Hien.

Author Nguyen Thi Thu Hien and daughter Le Bao Han interact with readers. Photo: Thuy Du

The story tells the adventure of two little fish brothers, Harry and Bella, who face bullying from big fish to adapt to their new life. During that adventure, Bella and Harry received warm help from big and small friends. It is the journey for two little fish to grow up.

Narrated by Bella, the book takes young readers into a vibrant aquatic world , home to the gentle Mr. Wise Fish, the old Mrs. Laura, the kind Maria and Jonas. But there are also “bullies” like old Thomas or the gang of aggressive big fish…

The book is published by Kim Dong Publishing House. Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

Sharing about her creative journey, author Nguyen Thi Thu Hien said that she is a very busy scientist with research and teaching. But she still wants to write, record, and tell her observations about life, or recreate her daily emotions on paper. The idea for her to start writing "The Adventures of Bella and Harry" is to have quality time with her children, to share small scientific knowledge, life experiences, and lessons in a gentle way. At the same time, this is also a way for a Vietnamese mother living far away from her homeland to maintain speaking Vietnamese and reading Vietnamese books to her children.

The author also revealed that she spends 10-30 minutes a day writing, her daughter Le Bao Han illustrates, and her husband and son are the first readers to give comments. The work was completed after many months and is more than 30,000 words long.

Funny and innocent illustrations by Le Bao Han - the author's daughter. Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

The book is told in a sincere and emotional language. Every detail about how fish eat, reproduce, live, how children play or fight in the aquarium is described vividly, intimately and emotionally. The book cleverly integrates lessons about biology, psychology, emotional education, and at the same time sends a message about empathy, kindness and the right to live a kind life, even for a small fish.

“The Adventures of Bella and Harry” is the latest work in the Children’s Literature Library written by Vietnamese authors living abroad. Examples include the novel “Detective Squad” by Quyên Gavoye (France), the series “Secret Code OGO” by Kiều Bích Hương (Belgium), the poetry collection “Mother’s White Clouds” by Trương Anh Tú (Germany), the poetry collection “Four Seasons for the Baby” by Lê Thị Thiên Hương (France)…

These are practical actions that demonstrate the love for the Vietnamese language and preserve it in Vietnamese families and communities abroad. At the same time, each work contributes to enriching the diversity and richness of Vietnamese children's literature.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/cuon-truyen-thu-vi-ve-hanh-trinh-truong-thanh-cua-hai-chu-ca-nho-710504.html