By: Jooney Freddieson & Aalovely Lor
Before we start with the story, let’s talk about the author— Dr. Chee Vang.
Dr. Chee Vang is not only an author, but a family practicing physician in the Hmong community. He graduated from Highland Park Senior High, soon pursuing his career in medicine.
He made history as the first to write a bilingual children’s book in both Hmong and English about health for children. This helps reflect his passion and commitment to medicine and preserving the Hmong language.
Through the book, Dr. Chee Vang offers medical guidance, as well as bridging cultures and generations.
He serves his community by providing both medical care and helping young Hmong children/teens reconnect with the language that’s beginning to get lost.
This book is more than the first Hmong/English bilingual children’s book, but also a meaningful way to contribute to health education and preservation of culture.
At the beginning of the book we’re introduced to Chaly, a young boy who expresses his nervous feeling about visiting the Doctor for a checkup.
It’s a relatable opening that helps capture the reader’s attention, especially children who have similar experiences when going to the doctor’s.
As the story progresses, we follow Chaly through all the different steps of his medical examination.
He’s first introduced to the nurse who takes his vital signs, and that includes multiple steps like taking his temperature and blood pressure.
The nurse makes sure to explain each step carefully to give Chaly and the reader a sense of understanding.
Eventually, Chaly meets Dr. Chee Vang who performs a physical examination. Through the examination, Dr. Chee Vang takes time to answer Chaly’s questions and builds both trust and communication.
He uses models and diagrams as an easy-to-understand method to help Chaly learn how the body works. This is not only helpful to Chaly, but it also can provide a way for young readers to follow along.
At the end, Chaly realizes his outlook on visiting the doctor’s has changed completely. His fear from the beginning ended with confidence and he understands that it doesn’t have to be scary because the doctors are supporting them, not hurting them.
Chaly’s journey educates and prepares the readers for what to expect during a medical visit, breaking down each step and introducing medical roles in a memorable way.
This also teaches young people to advocate for themselves and communicate openly with their healthcare professional. These lessons are important for children, especially those with language barriers or cultural differences.
Although this book was designed for readers between the ages of 5 and 18, its education goes beyond the age range.
It includes Hmong translations on each page, becoming a language learning tool for everyone as well. This is important for Hmong families because younger generations begin to lose their fluency in the language they speak.
As a Hmong teenager, I (Aalovley) continue to struggle with losing touch within the language I grew up speaking. Reading this book had an unexpected impact on my vocabulary when speaking Hmong. The words helped me reconnect with my culture, and more importantly, I was able to share this book with my younger siblings. I taught them what I learned, and that helped reinforce the vocabulary/language in all of us.
We highly recommend this book for Hmong families who are seeking help with their language/further education on health knowledge because these aren’t everyday things we learn.
‘Chaly Goes to See the Doctor’ is more than just a children’s book, but also a tool for learning and reconnection. It builds relationships between doctors/patients, between cultural generations, and for kids or teenagers like us. It gives us a path back to parts of our culture we may have lost along the way.
If you or someone you know might be interested in the book, here are resources where you can find it and support Dr. Chee Vang:
Libraries in Minnesota:
- Hennepin Public Library System
- Saint Paul Public Library system
- Washington County Public Library system
Libraries in Wisconsin:
- Marathon County Public Library of Wausau
- Appleton Public Library of Appleton
It also can be purchased on Amazon: (includes paperback, hardback, and ebook)
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