THE MERMAID WHO LEARNED TO DANCE

Phoenix

Is a young mermaid who wakes up on the land one day and discovers that she is no longer able to return to the sea.  Even though she works hard to adapt to her new environment, the other kids make fun of her for being different.  She teaches herself how to dance to bring joy to the land dwellers and show them her worth.  In the process, she becomes an inspirational role model for others.

NOW AVAILABLE IN BOOKSTORES!  

Click on Phoenix's image or the button below to find out how to get your own copy! 

The Mermaid Who Learned to Dance

Inspired by a true Story

The Mermaid who Learned to Dance was inspired by Băng Thị Bế. Băng is a young dentist who lives in Hà Nội.  One day she woke up in the hospital after a terrible motorcycle accident to discover that her right leg was missing. Even though she worked really hard to get better and go back to work, nobody accepted her because of her disability.  She taught herself to dance on one leg as a way to improve her balance. After a while she got so good at dancing that she used her talent to win a National beauty contest  in Vietnam! 

An inspirational role model

I found Băng's Youtube channel while I was looking for information for a sad story I was writing. She impressed me so much with her dancing that I hired a private tutor to teach me how to read and write in Vietnamese so that I could learn more about her.  She and I even began writing to each other.  She made me want to be as kind, and brave, and as happy as her.  

 

Inspired to do More

Knowing how sad the pandemic had made everyone, My Vietnamese tutor, Tâm Nguyễn, and I wrote "The Mermaid who Learned to Dance" as a way to share Băng's journey toward happiness with kids everywhere . We wrote the book in both English and Vietnamese so that kids could enjoy it in both languages.  We published it in April 2023. 

Click on the button below to find out where you can buy it!  

The Mermaid Who Learned to Dance

Chào Băng!

If you want to see some of Băng's videos, you can subscribe to her YouTube channel.  Click on the button below to find out more about the movie script  that Băng and I are writing. 

Finding the Balance