Hieu has worked as an educator for over 27 years.

She is currently a District Principal supporting schools in the Metro Vancouver area.

Hieu wrote this book because she saw a need for our society to understand that name is identity.

“Our name is the one sound that we utter, that represents our past, our present and our future”

After watching her students change or anglicize their names to better “fit in,” Hieu decided to share her story.

The Little Girl helps us think how we welcome others who don't look like us, speak like us, or have the same cultures and histories as we do.

The book has been enjoyed and read by children and adults aged 3 to 83!

the little girl is proud to be a finalist at the 2023 Whistler independent book awards

Testimonials

  • "As a teacher I am always looking for meaningful ways to address diversity. This book tells a story that is poignant, beautiful, and relatable for my students who come from a demographic that is almost entirely Caucasian. Telling the story through the eyes of a child makes it meaningful and lends itself to rich discussion about being part of an ethnic majority."

    — Amazon review

  • "LOVED this book - essential story for beginning conversations about identity, family and belonging"."

    — M.J. M.

  • "A beautifully written and illustrated book that deals with the importance of cultural identity and how others’ actions can affect this""

    — M. Burkell

  • "It is a well written and inspiring story. As a retired educator, I can relate to the main character. Many new Canadian parents change their child’s name to a Canadian name but they don’t know the emotional damage it can do to a young child."

    — M. Gold

  • "Love this book! This is touching story about a little girl’s experiences moving to a new world. Along with the powerful message that this story unfolds, are the vibrant illustrations, each of which paints a thousand words. This book is sure to engage readers of all ages in thought-provoking conversations and from a teacher's perspective, is a fantastic resource!"

    Ann Hunter

  • "A beautiful story that makes you really think about the importance of your name and how it connects you to your family, culture and heritage and the potential repercussions when your name is changed without your consent. This is a great book for all ages, as it is beautifully written and illustrated and it is also an ideal book for educators wanting to have thought provoking conversations with their class. I think this story will resonate with many people and my hope is we can stop the anglicizing of names. it's an outdated and grotesque colonial practice."

    Amazon Review

  • "A simple read on the surface but that has layers for an audience of young children, adolescents and adults alike, to engage in deep conversations. This book is an opportunity for us all to reflect on our interactions with people from other cultures and understand the need to think about how our actions could be interpreted and received. The book allows the reader to think, “what if…” and see where those reflections take them."

    Esther

  • A Great Teacher Resource: "An excellent resource for any classroom that will spark conversations about racial equality, honouring culture, identity and diversity in our communities. The author shares her lived experience in a way that will resonate with all children and the illustrations are beautiful."

    Amazon Review

  • "Outstanding story with beautiful illustrations that share a sad, but common, experience of immigration. Our names really are our identity and this book opens up conversations for all ages about what that really means. Love that it is based on a true story.

    L-Tex

  • "A beautifully written and illustrated picture book. Opens deep discussion for both children and adults ♥️"

    Jen Kilian

The Little Girl by H. Pham-Fraser is a beautiful story for young children that helps to impress upon them the importance of identity and how much it is the center of belonging, no matter where you are. I think that this is a story that should be read by or to all children, and adults, to help them understand valuable lessons about how important it is to be accepting of others, even if they are different from you, and also how important it is to be kind.

This is the story of a little girl who leaves Vietnam to come to a new country with her mother. Unfortunately, upon arriving in Canada, a border guard decides that her name is confusing and too long, so he just takes it upon himself to remove part of it. When she arrives at her new school, her teacher feels the same way and chooses to just change this little girl’s name to Helen because it is easier to pronounce and has fewer vowels. In neither case does the adult seem to care about what is best for the child. This little girl is scared and confused by this huge new country and her new home and school. She must learn how to do so many different things, such as speak and write in a new language, and the people who are supposed to be helping will not even allow her to keep her own name and identity.

I found the book engaging but oh so very sad as I watched these new people take away the only thing this child had left besides her mother. It is also a very heartwarming tale as we watch her struggle to be accepted in this new place while also trying to keep a part of herself and her heritage so that she never forgets.

The story is very well-written and addresses so much that is important for those who choose to come to a new country in order to better themselves and their families. As the story is told through the eyes of the little girl rather than an adult, it makes it even more meaningful, in my opinion, as the reader watches how strong this child ends up being. Finally, the illustrations in the book are absolutely beautiful and you can see her sadness in them as well as her joy.

The Little Girl is a wonderful story and I recommend it as a book to be read in schools in order to teach children the true meaning of kindness. I also think that it could teach very valuable lessons, both in and out of a school setting, regarding how important our name is to each of us and how necessary it is to accept a new person into our community and make them feel welcome.

Review by Kathy Stickles for Reader Views

January, 2023