Amid globalization, an increasing number of Vietnamese children are living and studying abroad with their families. Growing up in multilingual, multicultural environments, they have many opportunities to access modern knowledge, but also face a significant challenge: preserving the Vietnamese language and their connection to their homeland. Finding books and publications that are both relatable and effective for nurturing their mother tongue remains a priority for many overseas Vietnamese families.
Building on this reality, during the Vietnamese Language Teaching Training Course for Overseas Vietnamese Teachers held from August 13–28, 2025 in Hanoi, the Education & Times Newspaper and Cau Vong Tuoi tho publication carried out an initiative to donate copies of Cau Vong Tuoi tho and Cau Vong publications to Vietnamese students studying in Laos (Savannakhet, Vientiane), Taiwan (Taipei, Hsinchu), the Netherlands, Russia, Poland, Australia (Perth), South Korea, Singapore, Slovakia, Hong Kong, and Thailand. This activity was not only meaningful in supporting Vietnamese language learning, but also helped build a "bridge connecting culture," helping overseas Vietnamese children preserve their Vietnamese identity while opening opportunities for exchange and mutual understanding between Vietnamese children and their international peers.
Cau Vong Tuoi tho – More than just a children's publication
Unlike many rigid learning materials, the Cau Vong Tuoi tho publication, designed specifically for elementary school students, was created with the goal of enhancing knowledge and skills, developing educational thinking, cultivating character, and fostering self-improvement, helping children strengthen their communication abilities and cultivate compassion. Through culturally rich sections such as "Dat nuoc gam hoa" and "Cau Vong ket noi" – an English-language section – children gradually come to understand and love Vietnam and its people more deeply, while also expanding their connections and exploring the world around them.
This sense of familiarity is what allows Cau Vong Tuoi tho to serve not only children in Vietnam, but also become a publication that overseas Vietnamese children and international friends can read and explore Vietnamese culture together. Through each word and image, the Vietnamese language appears not as something foreign, but as warm and emotionally resonant, sparking curiosity and affection in young readers.
From the Netherlands: Preserving Vietnamese through love and perseverance
In the Netherlands, where Vietnamese is considered a difficult language for overseas Vietnamese children, the Cau Vong and Cau Vong Tuoi tho publications are regarded by many teachers and parents as a valuable source of encouragement. Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong (currently residing in The Hague, Netherlands), Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Women's Association in the Netherlands and founder of the Tulip Vietnamese Language Center - dedicated to preserving and spreading the Vietnamese language abroad, and currently also Deputy Secretary-General of the Global Network of Vietnamese Language Teachers - shared: "Children's books with beautiful colors and relatable stories and characters are things kids really love. There have been times I traveled 100–150 km just to bring books so I could read with the children, to see how they respond to and connect with Vietnamese."
According to Ms. Lan Huong, the Cau Vong and Cau Vong Tuoi tho publications are valuable resources that teachers use to organize experiential Vietnamese language exchange sessions: younger children color, draw, and match pictures, while older children read stories and answer questions. "The children are very enthusiastic. Each age group has its own approach, but what they share in common is that the children don't feel pressured to study - instead, they learn through joy," she shared.
Notably, even though the Mid-Autumn Festival has passed, Ms. Lan Huong still organizes Mid-Autumn-themed learn-and-play sessions using content from the publication. "The publication is beautifully printed, with an appropriately large font size, making it very suitable for children who are just learning to read. Books like these should be part of every family's bookshelf, because children don't just read them once - they play with them and revisit them again and again," she remarked.
According to the teacher, each issue of Cau Vong Tuoi tho presents a lovable theme: "when they get tired of reading, they play, and even while playing, they're still learning." Even children as young as 3 to 4 years old are drawn in, eagerly diving into drawing and coloring. For Ms. Lan Huong, these books are not just meant to be read - they're meant to be lived alongside childhood itself.
She also hopes that in the future, the publication can incorporate more digital content, QR codes, or AI technology, giving overseas Vietnamese children more opportunities to "listen, watch, and interact," thereby sparking greater interest in learning Vietnamese.
From Taiwan: Vietnamese becomes a cultural bridge in schools
In Taiwan, Vietnamese is not only for children of Vietnamese descent but is also chosen by many local students as a foreign language subject. Ms. Tran Huong Mai (currently residing in East District, Hsinchu City, Taiwan), a Vietnamese language teacher at the elementary and junior high school levels in Taiwan, shared: "Taiwanese students sign up to study Vietnamese because they love Vietnamese culture and cuisine. It's an official subject, with semester exams and grades just like any other subject."
In this context, publications like Cau Vong tuoi tho become vibrant resources, helping students approach Vietnamese not only through grammar and vocabulary, but through stories, images, and cultural life. Through each page, Vietnamese appears as a living language, connected to real people and a specific culture - thereby creating lasting motivation for students to keep learning.
From Laos: Bonding within a special friendship
Amid the special Vietnam–Laos friendship that leaders and people of both countries have consistently preserved and nurtured, education plays a foundational role in passing these fine values on to the younger generation. At the preschool and elementary school ages, when children's awareness and emotions are still natural and pure, culturally rich children's publications like Cau Vong Tuoi tho become an approachable means of gently introducing Vietnamese culture to children, without imposing it upon them.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Chinh, a teacher at Tonka School (Vientiane, Laos), shared: "Teaching Vietnamese to students helps nurture their affection for Vietnamese culture, while also preserving and promoting Vietnamese culture and further strengthening the special friendship between our two nations."
Through stories, images, games, and familiar scenes of daily life in Vietnam, the publication helps children in Laos - both children of Vietnamese descent and local students - become acquainted with the Vietnamese language and culture in an open, friendly spirit. More importantly, through these experiences of reading, playing, and discovering, affection, empathy, and mutual understanding between the two cultures are formed early on, planting sustainable "seeds" for the future of the Vietnam–Laos friendship.
Cau Vong Library in Singapore: A space nurturing cultural roots
In Singapore, through the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce - VietCham Singapore, the establishment of the Cau Vong Library will take place at the headquarters of the Vietnamese Association in Singapore (V.A.S) in January 2026. Built from donated copies of the Cau Vong Tuoi tho publication, the "Cau Vong Library" model is being developed as a cultural space for the Vietnamese community, particularly for children living and studying there.
The library is not only a place to store Vietnamese books and publications, but also becomes a meeting point and shared gathering space for overseas Vietnamese families, where getting familiar with, maintaining, and spreading the Vietnamese language is given top priority. Through colorful pages and content close to childhood, children have the opportunity to approach Vietnamese naturally, connected to images of their homeland, customs, and Vietnamese cultural life.
From this shared reading space, love for the Vietnamese language and a sense of connection to one's roots are sparked and nurtured day by day, helping the younger generation of Vietnamese children in Singapore preserve their national cultural identity amid international integration.
A bridge reaching further, carrying hope
From Laos, Taiwan, and Singapore to the Netherlands and many countries across Europe, Rainbow Childhood increasingly affirms a value that extends far beyond that of an ordinary children's publication. These simple pages have become a means of connection, helping preserve the Vietnamese language, spread Vietnamese culture, and nurture bonds between Vietnamese children and their international friends.
Every publication given away carries a lasting message: no matter where they live, Vietnamese children still have the chance to touch their mother tongue, feel the breath of their homeland, and nurture pride in their roots. Through these experiences of reading, playing, and discovering, love for Vietnam forms naturally, quietly growing alongside the children.
In the time ahead, the Education & Times Newspaper and Cau Vong Tuoi tho publication will continue to expand their connecting activities, bringing the fine values of Vietnamese culture to Vietnamese children abroad and to their international friends.
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