To Swim in Our Own Pond/Ta Ve Ta Tam Ao Ta: A Book of Vietnamese Proverbs
Grade 3-6-Tran has selected 22 familiar Vietnamese proverbs, drawn from both his childhood and an early 20th-century collection, and paired them with generally well-known Western equivalents. The Vietnamese "Good personality supersedes beauty," for example, is matched with "Beauty is only skin deep." The proverb in the original language is boxed in at the top of each page; beneath it is a soft, pastel watercolor illustration. A larger rectangle at the bottom presents the translation in boldface type and the Western equivalent. The deceptively simple, almost childlike paintings nicely convey the lifestyles and countryside of Vietnam. An author's note in both languages describes the collection and certain characteristics of Vietnamese proverbs; appended is a short introduction to the Vietnamese language.Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.