What do you think?
The Crystal Heart: A Vietnamese Legend
The sheltered and privileged daughter of a mandarin comes to understand the consequences of her naive, yet cruel, words to a fisherman.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1998
About the author
Aaron Shepard
90 books41 followersAaron Shepard is the author of many books, stories, and scripts for young people, as well as professional books and resources for writers and educators. He has also worked professionally in both storytelling and reader's theater, as a performer, director, and teacher trainer. Aaron's lively and meticulous retellings of folktales and other traditional literature have found homes with more than a dozen children's book publishers, large and small, and with the world's top children's literary magazines, winning him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. His extensive Web site, visited by thousands of teachers and librarians each week, is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater, while his stories and scripts have been featured in textbooks from publishers worldwide, including Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SRA, The College Board, Pearson Education, National Geographic, Oxford University Press, Barron's, Hodder Education, and McGraw-Hill.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 9, 2026
This Vietnamese legend brings a story of a young lady, Mi Nuong, who was meant to learn a lesson.
She was kept indoor and one day, as she sat in her room at the top of a tower, she heard a song coming from a boat. The song sounded so sweet, she couldn’t forget it. As days went by, the man in a boat didn’t return and she grew sicker by each day.
Her father sent a messenger to look for the man. He was found but he was just a poor fisherman in ragged clothes. When the young lady saw him, she felt silly and laughed at him.
He felt hurt by this experience and died. A large crystal was found on his chest, and it was set in his boat and let floating down to the sea. But instead, the boat drifted in a different direction…
The lady learned her lesson. At the end, she did marry a handsome man and yet the song of the poor fisherman echoed in her heart.
This story carries a message of how looks can deceive but there are other lessons along the way that could be learned as well. Age group is not specified for this book. Nevertheless, I believe some explaining along the lines would help children understand the meaning of this story better. The illustrations are beautiful and narrative is enjoyable but giving children more interpretation might make this legend more engaging.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
She was kept indoor and one day, as she sat in her room at the top of a tower, she heard a song coming from a boat. The song sounded so sweet, she couldn’t forget it. As days went by, the man in a boat didn’t return and she grew sicker by each day.
Her father sent a messenger to look for the man. He was found but he was just a poor fisherman in ragged clothes. When the young lady saw him, she felt silly and laughed at him.
He felt hurt by this experience and died. A large crystal was found on his chest, and it was set in his boat and let floating down to the sea. But instead, the boat drifted in a different direction…
The lady learned her lesson. At the end, she did marry a handsome man and yet the song of the poor fisherman echoed in her heart.
This story carries a message of how looks can deceive but there are other lessons along the way that could be learned as well. Age group is not specified for this book. Nevertheless, I believe some explaining along the lines would help children understand the meaning of this story better. The illustrations are beautiful and narrative is enjoyable but giving children more interpretation might make this legend more engaging.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2020
The beautiful young daughter of a Mandarin leads a sheltered life in this retelling of a Vietnamese legend, until the day she hears an enchanting song from her tower window and, imagining it is sung by a handsome young man, falls in love. When she doesn't hear the song again, she goes into a decline, worrying her powerful father, who tracks down the fisherman. But when the maiden sees the fisherman - poor, ugly and old - she closes the door in his face, unaware that, in that brief moment, he had fallen in love with her. The fisherman dies shortly thereafter of grief, and his heart, now a crystal because of the suffering it had endured, is made into a tea cup for the maiden, who realizes her unkindness...
There is a haunting quality to The Crystal Heart: A Vietnamese Legend, which offers no easy (and unrealistic) "happily ever after" endings. In thinking about the story, and the way in which it encourages the reader to sympathize with the fisherman, I was struck by the fact that both he and the maiden fell in love with an illusion, either of voice or of appearance. The difference between the two lies in kindness, or the lack thereof, and the legend highlights how our own acts of cruelty, however unintentional, can have unintended consequences, and stay with us for the rest of our lives. The melancholy tone here suited me, and the darker-toned but beautiful illustrations from Joseph Daniel Fiedler were well matched with the story. Recommended to young folklore loves, and picture-book readers interested in Vietnamese lore.
There is a haunting quality to The Crystal Heart: A Vietnamese Legend, which offers no easy (and unrealistic) "happily ever after" endings. In thinking about the story, and the way in which it encourages the reader to sympathize with the fisherman, I was struck by the fact that both he and the maiden fell in love with an illusion, either of voice or of appearance. The difference between the two lies in kindness, or the lack thereof, and the legend highlights how our own acts of cruelty, however unintentional, can have unintended consequences, and stay with us for the rest of our lives. The melancholy tone here suited me, and the darker-toned but beautiful illustrations from Joseph Daniel Fiedler were well matched with the story. Recommended to young folklore loves, and picture-book readers interested in Vietnamese lore.
April 9, 2026
Aaron Shepherd makes a living turning folktales from around the world into gorgeous picture books, as he did with The Baker’s Dozen, which is a great favorite of mine. When it comes to beauty, The Crystal Heart succeeds, thanks to Joseph Daniel Fiedler’s illustrations; however, the legend of a pampered, thoughtless mandarin’s daughter in Ancient Vietnam doesn’t prove very satisfying. It’s the 25th anniversary reissue, and I don’t see why they bothered.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Skyhook Press in exchange for an honest review.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Skyhook Press in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2025
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: As the daughter of a great mandarin, Mi Nuong leads a sheltered life. But one day, sitting in her tower, a song floats to her from a distant fishing boat on the river.
The voice is so beautiful, she knows the singer must be young and handsome—perhaps even a mandarin's son in disguise. Could it be that the song is for her? She longs to meet him, but how? And what will she find if she does?
In this poignant legend, a young lady discovers that appearances can deceive, but the heart speaks true.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: A folktale about self-deception and how easy it is to leave it to externalities to guide us. Being careful what you ask for, lest you get it, is a lesson that can never be repeated often enough.
where we are
We're with a ranking official, a man of substance in his community whose marriageable daughter harrbors romantic illusions as she contemplates beginning her life:
father and daughter
As time passes and impending marriage occupies her mind more and more, she hears a beautiful song in her tower fastness, a song of piercing musical and lyrical beauty, again and again. It obsesses her, consumes her, as thoughts of her marriage to a mandarin's son...quite a step up...meld with the beautiful voice. She consults oracles to see if she will marry a man with beauty like that she hears.
Omens must always be interpreted...so of course, we know what happens.
Does it all work out?
Yes; and no.
Nothing on this Earth is forever; no ending is not also a beginning.
Excellent lessons for young girls most especially in this culture that orders them to consider men their dreams, or their paths to getting dreams in reality. It's not like that, but it's not all bad.
The Publisher Says: As the daughter of a great mandarin, Mi Nuong leads a sheltered life. But one day, sitting in her tower, a song floats to her from a distant fishing boat on the river.
"My love is like a blossom in the breeze.
My love is like a moonbeam on the waves."
The voice is so beautiful, she knows the singer must be young and handsome—perhaps even a mandarin's son in disguise. Could it be that the song is for her? She longs to meet him, but how? And what will she find if she does?
In this poignant legend, a young lady discovers that appearances can deceive, but the heart speaks true.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: A folktale about self-deception and how easy it is to leave it to externalities to guide us. Being careful what you ask for, lest you get it, is a lesson that can never be repeated often enough.
where we are
We're with a ranking official, a man of substance in his community whose marriageable daughter harrbors romantic illusions as she contemplates beginning her life:
father and daughter
As time passes and impending marriage occupies her mind more and more, she hears a beautiful song in her tower fastness, a song of piercing musical and lyrical beauty, again and again. It obsesses her, consumes her, as thoughts of her marriage to a mandarin's son...quite a step up...meld with the beautiful voice. She consults oracles to see if she will marry a man with beauty like that she hears.
Omens must always be interpreted...so of course, we know what happens.
Does it all work out?
Yes; and no.
Nothing on this Earth is forever; no ending is not also a beginning.
Excellent lessons for young girls most especially in this culture that orders them to consider men their dreams, or their paths to getting dreams in reality. It's not like that, but it's not all bad.
October 12, 2018
This is a legend I had never heard before and it’s so sad.
Read
April 4, 2026Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
The Crystal Heart by Aaron Shepard and illustrated by Joseph Daniel Fielder is a picture book inspired by a Vietnamese legend. Mi Nuong is the beautiful daughter of a mandarin who has been kept away from the outside world. One day, she overhears a man singing and becomes lovesick, leading her father to find the mysterious man to cure his daughter. But when Mi Nuong comes face-to-face with her mystery man for the first time, she laughs for he is a poor fisherman.
I loved the artwork. Each drawing is full of rich colors and the style appears to be lineless. The style is a bit on the simpler side, but it's easy to see the attention to detail and how moon imagery is used for Mi Nuong.
I have never heard this legend before picking this story up, so I cannot say how it measures up to other retellings or in Vietnamese texts. I can attest to the fact that it took a turn I was not expecting at all with Truong Chi and Mi Nuong’s rejection of him because so many fairy tales I grew up with do not go that route. I think this would be a good story to introduce to a classroom of young readers who are starting to learn about tropes and stories because it might break some of their expectations while also following others.
I think the major theme here is that your wrongs can haunt you for the rest of your days, no matter what other accomplishments you might acquire, and you have to live with that. It's a heavy theme, but a very important one and it can help some young readers who are starting to learn the impact of their words and actions.
I would recommend this to young readers who are learning about legends and folklore outside of the Western sphere and teachers looking to expand students' ideas of storytelling
The Crystal Heart by Aaron Shepard and illustrated by Joseph Daniel Fielder is a picture book inspired by a Vietnamese legend. Mi Nuong is the beautiful daughter of a mandarin who has been kept away from the outside world. One day, she overhears a man singing and becomes lovesick, leading her father to find the mysterious man to cure his daughter. But when Mi Nuong comes face-to-face with her mystery man for the first time, she laughs for he is a poor fisherman.
I loved the artwork. Each drawing is full of rich colors and the style appears to be lineless. The style is a bit on the simpler side, but it's easy to see the attention to detail and how moon imagery is used for Mi Nuong.
I have never heard this legend before picking this story up, so I cannot say how it measures up to other retellings or in Vietnamese texts. I can attest to the fact that it took a turn I was not expecting at all with Truong Chi and Mi Nuong’s rejection of him because so many fairy tales I grew up with do not go that route. I think this would be a good story to introduce to a classroom of young readers who are starting to learn about tropes and stories because it might break some of their expectations while also following others.
I think the major theme here is that your wrongs can haunt you for the rest of your days, no matter what other accomplishments you might acquire, and you have to live with that. It's a heavy theme, but a very important one and it can help some young readers who are starting to learn the impact of their words and actions.
I would recommend this to young readers who are learning about legends and folklore outside of the Western sphere and teachers looking to expand students' ideas of storytelling
June 24, 2011
Mi Nuong hears a beautiful one night, from a man on a boat on the water. She cannot see him clearly since it is dark, but she believes he must be young, handsome and the one she is to marry.
She thinks he will come back, but night after night, week after week, he does not return. Mi Nuong becomes weak and ill. Her father learns of the man who sang that night and sends one of his men to find him.
I was at the library and this book caught my eye. It was a story I had never read before and although it is very sad, it is also a beautiful story and teaches a wonderful lesson. I enjoyed reading this very much.
She thinks he will come back, but night after night, week after week, he does not return. Mi Nuong becomes weak and ill. Her father learns of the man who sang that night and sends one of his men to find him.
I was at the library and this book caught my eye. It was a story I had never read before and although it is very sad, it is also a beautiful story and teaches a wonderful lesson. I enjoyed reading this very much.
April 9, 2026
The Crystal Heart, written by Aaron Shepard, is the retelling of a Vietnamese legend. The Crystal Heart follows Mi Nuong, the daughter of a great mandarin. Due to her status Mi Nuong is kept within the confines of her home away from men. She spends her time sitting at a window bench in her room, looking out at the nearby river. One day, Mi Nuong overhears a song coming from a fishing boat on the river and becomes lovesick for the singer, whom she states must be young and handsome to have such a beautiful voice. However when Mi Nuong finally meets the man, Truong Chi, and finds a very different version of her would-be suitor. Truong Chi is both rejected and humiliated by Mi Nuong. From the pain of his humiliation, a crystal heart grows and makes its way back to Mi Nuong. The lesson at the heart of this fairytale is to be kind, and to not judge others based on their looks and wealth. The illustrations in this book are very traditional, evoking a sense of nostalgia which simultaneously dates the content.
April 29, 2026
A slightly tweaked reprint of this author's brilliant little tale from Vietnam, deservedly getting more coverage for its 25th birthday. A mandarin's daughter pines away when the singer of a haunting love song cannot be found – but when the humble fisherman who she had heard without realising is shown to her, well, it doesn't end brilliantly for either of them. There's a timeless poise to the art – the characters are very still and courtly yet definitely alive, and the look of the piece, with full-page images on every spread of text, is a lot of the appeal. But the clarity of the telling, the slow way the piece has in fulfilling its inevitability? They're both most memorable too. The moral about being judgemental is clear, but lightly done, and it is hard to imagine a better version of the piece for the western market. Four and a half stars.
May 23, 2021
The Crystal Heart is about a lonely mandarin’s daughter and a fisherman who sings beautifully. Their story touches the themes of depression, desire, status, beauty, youth, wisdom, rejection, fantasy, and the deep melancholy that rests in many of our broken hearts, for the simple fact of being.
For a children’s book, it is sad and profound in a way you don’t understand until you are older. I believe that’s a refreshing change, though. Children need to know about sorrow, instead of endlessly basking in positivity’s shallow sweetness.
Even though it upset my happily-ever-after state of mind as a little girl, I am glad my mother had me read this.
For a children’s book, it is sad and profound in a way you don’t understand until you are older. I believe that’s a refreshing change, though. Children need to know about sorrow, instead of endlessly basking in positivity’s shallow sweetness.
Even though it upset my happily-ever-after state of mind as a little girl, I am glad my mother had me read this.
April 7, 2026
Thank you Skyhook Press and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is a beautiful haunting retelling of a Vietnamese legend with a wonderful lesson that is different from many other stories since there is no happy ending. I really enjoyed the dreamy illustrations where vibrant colors blend into each other creating the flowing effect. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys folklore and stories that defy traditional tropes.
April 16, 2026
The Crystal Heart
A Vietnamese Legend (25th Anniversary Edition)
by Aaron Shepard
The story of longing for love and understanding cultural resonance of poetry and song. This book uses beautiful artwork to enhance the story. Teachers can use this not only to celebrate the Vietnamese culture, but also the cross cultural aspects of poetry and music.
A Vietnamese Legend (25th Anniversary Edition)
by Aaron Shepard
The story of longing for love and understanding cultural resonance of poetry and song. This book uses beautiful artwork to enhance the story. Teachers can use this not only to celebrate the Vietnamese culture, but also the cross cultural aspects of poetry and music.
September 11, 2025
Been a long time since I read something but the teachers made us read a story in our textbooks and found this. It was only 4 pages and it was actually great. I will probably update every Thursday to update people on stories I just read on the textbook
April 25, 2018
Thought it was going to head the direction Rapunzel or sleeping beauty. I was wrong. A beautiful story unfolded about the human heart, love and heart break.
January 12, 2024
Reminds me of W.B. Yeats’ beautiful poem “The Cap and Bells.” Wonderful story, illustrations, and lesson.
April 21, 2026
The Crystal Heart
A Vietnamese Legend
by Aaron Shepard
I loved this story, it was beautiful and it gave me a calming feeling I can't explain how. It surely has pretty illustrations which feel soothing to the eyes.
Thank you netgalley and skyhook publishing for ARC in exchange of an honest review.
A Vietnamese Legend
by Aaron Shepard
I loved this story, it was beautiful and it gave me a calming feeling I can't explain how. It surely has pretty illustrations which feel soothing to the eyes.
Thank you netgalley and skyhook publishing for ARC in exchange of an honest review.
February 21, 2013
Book Title: The Crystal Heart
Lexile: 400
Paragraph #1: I like this book because the daughter and fisherman were both love sick for each other, but for different reasons. One reason I liked this was because one was for look and the other for singing. At first you would think that the person who fell in love with the voice is better but hen she laughs in his face and he falls in love with her.
Paragraph #2: My least favorite part was when the daughter laughed in the fishermen's face because it was really mean and if hurt him. I think that people how like story's with a good moral would like this book because it teaches a go lesson.
Lexile: 400
Paragraph #1: I like this book because the daughter and fisherman were both love sick for each other, but for different reasons. One reason I liked this was because one was for look and the other for singing. At first you would think that the person who fell in love with the voice is better but hen she laughs in his face and he falls in love with her.
Paragraph #2: My least favorite part was when the daughter laughed in the fishermen's face because it was really mean and if hurt him. I think that people how like story's with a good moral would like this book because it teaches a go lesson.
January 14, 2009
There is a shelf in the library that houses the fairy tales and legends in picture book form. My daughter goes there every time and is finding some very nice renditions of familiar tales AND some new stories we've never heard before. This legend comes from vietnam. It's beautiful and sad and teaches a big lesson about how we treat others.
July 16, 2012
A Vietnamese legend with an unexpected twist at the ending. If only it could be retold in a longer version, methinks it would be better...
April 14, 2015
Extra star for the illustrations.
April 24, 2015
This is a delicate and poignant legend. I loved the book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews