Where Thuong Keeps Love

by Thu Buu, Bao Luu (Illustrator)

Overview

Inspired by the subtle yet unique differences in the notion of love between American and Vietnamese cultures, Where Thuong Keeps Love is a beautiful exploration of the nonverbal ways love is held and stored in every part of the body.

"This exploration of expressing familial devotion provides opportunities for social-emotional learning by connecting actions, both physical and emotional, with love. . . A sweet and charming tale that validates different ways of expressing love."
—Kirkus Reviews, one of the 150 Most Anticipated Fall Books

Let's Talk Picture Books Crush of the Week!
Featured in Children's Book Council's Summer 2022 Showcase: Love Makes the World Go Round

"Have you ever thought about where your love for others lives? In this lovely picture book, a young Vietnamese girl asks her friends where they keep their love for their parents. After hearing (and agreeing!) with most of their answers, she realizes her love for them is all throughout her body—not just one part. A glossary and an author's note introduce some differences between American and Vietnamese culture, and a glossary helps readers of all ages pronounce names correctly. A loving gem all about love."
—Belmont Books, bookseller recommendation

Where do you feel and keep love for your parents? In your head, where you think kind thoughts? In your mouth, where you say special words? Or in your heart, where you feel good emotions?

Inspired by the subtle yet unique cultural differences in how love is expressed, Where Thuong Keeps Love explores all the nonverbal ways love and affection are connected and held in every part of the body—from the top of the head all the way down to the tips of the toes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781513289441
Publisher:	West Margin Press
Publication date:	09/21/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD710L (what's this?)
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Thu Buu is a debut author and has been a schoolteacher and educator for more than twenty years. When she was five years old, her family fled Vietnam on a boat and eventually settled in Stockton, California. She earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Sociology from the University of California, San Diego, and her teaching credentials and Master’s in Education at California State University, Stanislaus. When not traveling or having fun with her family, Thu teaches elementary school and writes from her sunny home near Los Angeles, California.
Bao Luu is a children’s book illustrator specializing in watercolor and digital art. Born and raised in Vietnam, Bao knew he wanted to become an artist since he was a child. He draws inspiration from cartoons and manga, and is passionate about the environment. He currently lives in Houston, Texas.

Reading Group Guide

Thương has something very special, and she’s been looking for the perfect place to keep it safe.
“I’ll ask my friends at school,” Thương said to herself. She swung her backpack over one shoulder, threaded both arms through the shoulder straps, and stepped out the front door.

Walking across the blacktop, Thương spotted her friend Ney. Ney was standing in line waiting for the first bell to ring.
Skipping up to him, Thương asked, “Ney, where do you keep your love for your parents?”

Ney closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He answered, “I keep it in my head.”
“In your head?” repeated Thương with curiosity.
Ney nodded confidently. “Uh-huh. When I try my best even when something’s hard, I learn new things, and that makes my parents happy.”
“Mine too!” Thương nodded in agreement.

At recess, Thương was sitting on the swing next to her friend Lily. She called out, “Lily, where do you keep love for your parents?”
Lily started swinging higher, pumping her legs back and forth. “I keep it in my voice,” she yelled back.
“In your voice?” repeated Thương as loudly as she could.
“Uh-huh! Whenever I say, ‘I love you, Daddy,’ I know my daddy is happy.”
“Mine too!” Thương shouted with delight.

During lunch, Carlos was using the end of his burrito to count the golden mini samosas as Ney pulled them out of his container.
Usually Thương would bring last night’s delicious leftovers, like fried rice, stir-fry noodles, or sweet rice and chicken, but not today. Today the cafeteria served corn dogs and chocolate milk. Thương loved corn dogs, especially with ketchup.

Thương asked, “Carlos, where do you keep love for your parents?”
Carlos wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sang, “I keep it in my tummy.”
“In your tummy?” repeated Thương with a chuckle. An image of Carlos and his family swimming in a pool of chocolate milk popped into her head.
Carlos rubbed his tummy and explained, “When I eat all the veggies on my dinner plate without complaining, my mom is happy.”
“Mine too,” said Thương. “But I eat my dinner in a bowl,” she added.

The last bell rang. School was over. Walking out of the classroom beside Joneisha, Thương asked, “Joneisha, where do you keep love for your parents?”
Joneisha looked quietly at the ground for a moment and then answered, “I keep it in my heart.”
“In your heart?” repeated Thương softly.
Joneisha clasped both hands over her heart. “Yes. Every time we do fun things together, my heart is so happy.”
“Me too!” said Thương, remembering her fun family walk around the neighborhood yesterday evening.

Walking through the front gates of the school, Thương spotted Ba waving at her. She broke into a wide grin and skipped toward him. This was her favorite time of day, when she and her dad walk home together hand in hand.
As usual, Thương began telling Ba about her day.

Today, Thương noticed how her dad slightly leaned his ear toward her, listening to every word.
“Oh I see! Ba keeps his love for me in his ears!” she thought to herself.

Their walk home seemed especially short today. She had only just begun describing the yellow dandelions they picked at recess when Ba pulled the latch to open the door to their backyard.
“Hi, Thương,” greeted Mệ, waving her hand.
“Anything new happen at school today, con?” asked Ôn as he gestured for her to come over.

“Hi, Ôn Mệ!” Thương replied. She hopped over to the vegetable garden and gave her grandparents each a hug as she retold the dandelion story.

Thương could see Ôn’s hands ready to yank the carrots from the dirt. Mệ filled the holes left behind from the pulled carrots.
“Mạ’s cooking your favorite tonight—chicken and vegetable stew. These carrots will help make it even more sweet and tasty!” Mệ said.

Thương felt her heart leap with joy. “Ôn Mệ keep their love for me in the palms of their hands every time they tend our vegetable garden!” she thought.

Around dinnertime, a delicious smell wafted into the living room. Thương put down her book and followed her nose into the kitchen where she found her mom stirring a pot of stew. Mạ lifted her face above the pot and drew in a deep, slow breath.
“Mmmm. I think this needs just a little more salt, and then it’ll be perfect. Exactly how you like it, Thương.” Mạ smiled.

Thương smelled her mom’s love rise with each tendril of steam. She smiled back, her heart full of happiness.
“Mạ keeps her love for me in her nose when she cooks our dinner each night!” she thought.

Thương thought about where her friends keep their love for their family, and where her family keeps their love for her.
A smile spread across her face.

Before Thương went to bed, she walked up to her parents and expressed her love the best way her heart knew how—through a game she used to play with her parents when she was learning to speak her first words.
She reached up, tapped her head, bent down and tapped her toes, saying, “Ba ơi, Mạ ơi. Con thương Ba Mạ để từ trên đầu xuống đến dưới chân.” * *"Daddy, Mommy, I love you, and I keep my love for you on the top of my head all the way down to the tip of my toes.”

Thương’s parents smiled.
Holding her tightly, together they said, “Ba Mạ cũng thương con để từ trên đầu xuống đến dưới chân.”* * “We also love you, honey. And we keep our love for you on the top of our heads all the way down to tip of our toes.”

That night Thương went to bed very happy. She had found the perfect place to keep her very special something safe and sound, always and forever.

Editorial Reviews

08/13/2021

PreS-Gr 3—Where do you keep the love for your family? That's the question Thu'o'ng asks her American friends. Each of her friends, who are from various cultural background, has a different answer, and her own Vietnamese family also has more than one kind of reply. This is a wonderful question to lob at children. The book allows readers to draw parallels with their own ideas while considering and honoring other cultures as well. The warmly colored artwork adds details about gender and ethnicity that children might not be able to guess from the names alone of the characters. A wonderful teaching tool for discussions about cultural diversity and how it is demonstrated in all kinds of ways, this book is also an excellent social emotional learning platform for showing the many ways to express love. VERDICT A recommended purchase, this book will have many uses, from story hour to the classroom.—Debbie Tanner, S. D. Spady Montessori Elem., FL

School Library Journal

2021-06-29
A young Vietnamese girl discovers the varied ways in which her friends and family express their love for one another.

Looking for a special place to keep her feelings, Thương asks her friends where they keep their love for their parents. Her friends, a diverse array of children, share the ways they convey affection. These include a vocalized declaration like “I love you” as well as nonverbal actions that demonstrate appreciation and respect. Each of these examples is symbolically linked to a body part. One friend keeps it in his head and explains that trying his best and learning new things make his parents happy. Another friend keeps it in her heart, as doing fun things with her parents makes her happy. Thương also observes members of her family listening carefully, gardening, and cooking her favorite meal. This exploration of expressing familial devotion provides opportunities for social-emotional learning by connecting actions, both physical and emotional, with love. The gentle and affirming tone doesn’t prioritize one form over another and subtly introduces the ways culture can influence our expressions and how we reciprocate affection. The friendly cartoon illustrations are done in a cheery mix of bright pastel colors, which reinforces the soothing comfort of unconditional love. Thương is Vietnamese, and her friends have a range of skin tones and hair colors. A Vietnamese rhyme reflecting the story’s theme is reproduced in the backmatter along with an English translation.

A sweet and charming tale that validates different ways of expressing love. (author's note, Vietnamese glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews