Véro and Philippe

"I wrote Véro and Philippe because my first Cricket magazine story moved the Editor-in-Chief, Marianne Carus, to ask for a book."

Where Is My Puppy?

A Pet for Grandma

Surprise Moon

The Night Olympic Team

C'est pas marrant

Book description

In this humorous, multicultural chapter book, sibling rivalry turns to teamwork between Vietnamese kids growing up in Paris. Véro and Philippe made the Los Angeles Times Children's Bestsellers list!

Reading Level: G4; works well as a read-aloud for younger children, because each chapter is like a short story.

Hardcover, 120 pages.
Publisher: Front Street/Cricket Books

ISBN-10 081262940X

ISBN-13 978-0812629408

Praise from reviewers

"The characters and humor are charming, sometimes tart, sometimes whimsical. The scene in which Véro and Papa make mayonnaise is a laugh-out-loud stitch . . . Intriguing cultural mix and luscious little details of well-rendered setting . . . Attractively packaged piece . . ."
-- Children's Literature

"Humorous… One particularly droll incident involves Mr. Vo's scientific approach to cooking . . . This entertaining read offers children a glimpse into the life of a Parisian schoolchild; a strict, but loving family; and the ups and downs of sibling relationships."
-- School Library Journal

"Read aloud or independently, this compact novel offers a poetic language and fresh perspective that should engage readers, offering child readers a glimpse of the unfamiliar and insights into the familial."
-- The Bulletin Of The Center For Children's Books

Sample pages

Buy the book

For teachers

Activities

In Véro and Philippe, Véro was born in France after her parents moved there from Vietnam. Where were your students born? Where did their parents, grandparents, or ancestors come from? Draw country flags from places that are meaningful to them. Large, index card-size flags can be pasted on a poster. Small, postage stamp-size flags can be taped to a toothpick "flagpole" and poked into a world map.

Grade 3 and up: in Véro and Philippe, Véro has a pet snail. What pets do your students have or dream of having? Have them write about their (dream) pet. If they need prompts, consider:
What is your pet?
What is your pet's name?
How long have you had it?
Favorite food?
Favorite pastime?
My pet is afraid of…
The funniest thing my pet does is…
The worst thing my pet does is…
Older students can make sure the animal springs to life from their writing, by "using all senses" and showing the animal's behavior and responses.

Author interview

To read Caroline's discussion of the intersection of the Vietnamese and French culture within Véro and Philippe's family life, click here.

Illustrator Preston McDaniels

Children's illustrator Preston McDaniels has also illustrated the Lighthouse Family series books by Newbery Award winner Cynthia Rylant and other works by popular authors.