Most of our books are in the Lao language, and the primary audience is Lao readers. But we also have a number of books in English, or English and Lao, on topics of interest to visitors, for sale in our shops in Luang Prabang and Vientiane.
The Parables of Wat Xieng Thong Wat Xieng Thong is Luang Prabang's most famous landmark, and the glass mosaic stories that decorate the walls of the Red Chapel have fascinated visitors for decades. Here are the parables that are told by these mosaics. (English; a Lao edition is also available.)
Proverbs of Laos Lao children have selected, explained, and illustrated some favorite proverbs, such as "Cool water, fish live. Hot water, fish escape." (Lao and English)
What's in the Market? If you go to a Lao market you'll wonder about the many unfamiliar items you see. What's this tool used for? How is that food cooked? Here are answers. (Lao and English)
Ethnic Groups of Laos Laos is the home of many ethnic groups: 49, according to the government census. They range from large groups such as the Khmu to the Doi who are represented by about 600 people in a single village. (Lao and English)
People of the Forest The story of a rarely-seen tribe of forest people, who lived in heavily-wooded parts of Laos and Thailand until the early years of this century, and some may yet be there. (Lao and English)
Village Life - Easy English/Lao Stories Romance, jobs, motorbike accidents, family visits, farming, and school. These stories tell about the concerns of young people in Laos today. With both Lao and English, it provides many good conversation-starters with new Lao friends. (Lao and English)
Growing Up on the Mountain James was born in a Hmong village high in the mountains. As a boy he carried water up from the spring, helped with farming, went to school, and built a tricycle for exciting rides down the hill. Here he tells his inspiring story. (English; a Lao edition is also available.)
Fire in the Straw! Another true story of growing up in rural Laos; this time by a Khmu boy who tells about traditional life in this ethnic group: Growing food, entering school, trapping field mice as a snack, his first bicycle. (Lao and English)
Laos 1957 Photographs and captions from the ceremonies held in 1957, which marked the 2500th anniversary of the birth of the Lord Buddha, along with scenes of daily life in Laos at that time. (Lao and English)
Bangkok Bob A little monkey discovers the big city and sees it with a new perspective. He finds adventure, bananas, and a new friend. But watch out for those high-speed elephants! This one one of our very earliest books and has become a favorite with visitors and Lao alike. (Lao and English)
The Monk and the Trees As he walks through Laos, a young monk blesses a different tree each day, noting its importance to humans and to nature. (Lao and English)
New, Improved Buffalo A Lao boy decides to improve his buffalo with an umbrella, extra legs, wings, and more. By the time he finishes, he realizes that perhaps change isn't always automatically a good thing. (Lao and English)
Above: We train our staff and teachers to tell stories in a way that holds the attention of listeners: Change your voice. Use hand and body notions. Pause occasionally for dramatic effect. But Sone didn't need much help, he knew what to do. Everyone was spellbound when he acted out a story.
Just a few month after we opened our first shop in 2006, a nervous high school student came to apply for a job opening.
Very quickly, we realized that 16-year-old Sonesoulilat (usually called "Sone", which is pronounced Sawn) was a valuable addition to our team. Two months later, he organized a party at the Orphanage School on the outskirts of town – the first of many such events we have run, largely coordinated by Sone.
What do you do at a book party? Games, of course. Sone described some of them in his book Game Time! which we continue to use in our teacher trainings. He also wrote songs, with accompanying hand and body motions, which children enjoy singing.
Sone's many other books include What's in the Market? which explains to visitors the unfamiliar foods and household items they might see in the market; Fun with Fruit which uses fun rhymes to tell about popular fruits; the beginning-reader book Black Mouse, White Mouse and Traditional Toys which keeps an important part of Lao culture from being forgotten. His book The Joy of Reading encourages reading aloud, and tells why it's important.
His logistics skills have also blossomed. Nearly two decades after organizing our first book party, he arranged a staff vacation to Thailand: 114 people consisting of teachers nd staff, some partners and children. Among other highlights, for most it was their first time to see and swim in the ocean. The trip involved trains, 3 chartered busses, 2 hotels, meals and activities, and went off flawlessly. It was a well-earned vacation for the hard-working people who have made Big Brother Mouse such a success.
