Mai's Áo Dài by Thai Nguyen

Mai's Áo Dài

Thai Nguyen, Monique Truong

Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books · Print & ebook · January 7, 2025

A Picture Books pick for readers exploring Mai's Áo Dài.

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Who it’s for
A picture book where Tet celebration, a dazzling dress, and family heritage meet with tenderness.
Themes
Vietnamese heritage and tradition, Intergenerational family bonds, Love expressed through clothing
Genres
Lunar New Year Stories, US: Asian American Stories, Multigenerational Families

About this book

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.

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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.

Tradition with Spark

A picture book where Tet celebration, a dazzling dress, and family heritage meet with tenderness.

Come here for

  • A young dreamer’s take on the áo dài
  • Vietnamese Lunar New Year traditions across generations

Expect

  • Warm family bonds and a grandmother’s story
  • A tender reflection on love beyond what we can see

Where it sits

Multigenerational Families71%
US: Asian American Stories61%
Lunar New Year Stories53%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • US: Asian American Stories
  • Nonreligious Celebrations
  • Big Feelings
Authors
Thai Nguyen, Monique Truong
Publisher
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Published
January 7, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Vietnamese heritage and tradition · Intergenerational family bonds · Love expressed through clothing
Reading lane
US: Asian American Stories