Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, her daughter (R), and a reader at the launch of the book “The Adventures of Bella and Harry” in Hanoi in late July 2025. (Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House)

Goldfish have long been the butt of jokes about short attention spans and low intelligence, from schoolyard chatter to the popular animated film Finding Nemo, where a character implies that goldfish are dump.

Dr. Hien’s new book, “The Adventures of Bella and Harry,” draws inspiration from this long-standing misconception. She is turning that myth on its head and sparking children’s curiosity about science. “I often think about the unfair reputation of goldfish. I have for long sought an approach to teaching my child science and life lessons in the most natural way, so she can absorb them easily.”

Research shows goldfish can remember events and skills for months, even up to a year; recognize colors, shapes, and sounds; learn behaviors; and identify people, Hien said.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hien and her daughter Bao Han, the authors of “The Adventures of Bella and Harry”

And she created the first lines of the story during an international event in Copenhagen in June 2023. Hien managed to take some time each day before bed to work on the book with her daughter, despite a tight schedule as a scientist and active social contributor.

“I wrote the book with my daughter in the evenings before bedtime on weekdays, about 20 to 30 minutes each day. Normally we read together, but over the past two years we switched to working together. On weekends, we’d spend more time – sometimes one or two hours,” Hien recalled.

Despite her youth, Hien’s daughter, 9-year-old Le Bao Han approached the work with seriousness and responsibility. She even sketched throughout Tet, the Traditional Lunar New Year Festival, Hien said. “Creating with my daughter has been a joyful journey full of laughter. I’m grateful for her loving collaboration. She’s always patient and eager to hear each new chapter, then carefully draws each picture.”

The book launch ceremony in Hanoi attracts a lot of readers, old and young alike. (Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House)

Their shared process has been a way to nurture family bonds and cultural heritage in a multilingual environment, helping to maintain the Vietnamese language while sparking Bao Han’s creativity.

Between June 2023 and June 2025, they produced “The Adventures of Bella and Harry” and another children’s story. Each contains more than 33,000 words each. It wasn’t a lot, but it was a journey full of memories and love, Hien said. “We’re all busy, but if something truly matters to you, you’ll make time for it. It’s not about how much time you have, but what you prioritize within it.”

“The Adventures of Bella and Harry” presents a lively world of aquatic life centered on two gentle African Ali fish brother and sister, Bella and Harry, who often face bullying due to their timid nature. Raised under the protection of Sara and Mads, their only remaining relatives, the siblings are soon separated, forcing them to navigate the challenges of survival on their own.

The narrative by Bella subtly weaves in lessons of biology, psychology, and emotional education, while delivering messages of empathy, kindness, and the right to live decently, even for a small fish. The book is an educational tool that teaches science to children naturally and gently.

The two authors sign the books for young readers. (Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House)

Following “The Adventures of Bella and Harry,” the mother-daughter team completed a second manuscript, “The Story of Bong the Pigeon.”

Hien recalled, “Many nights she sat in my lap as we watched science videos about pigeons, explored real-life pigeon stories, discussed ideas, wrote, and read drafts aloud. Then I eagerly awaited her illustrations.”

A third manuscript, “Otto the Crow and Lina the Little Girl,” is underway, with plans to begin detailed writing after their summer break in Denmark.