The Thunder Bolt

What began as a shared spark of creativity during their Freshman year of High School has officially blossomed into a published, multilingual children's book with a powerful message about wildlife conservation and community.

High School Seniors Chloe, Mai, and Giang recently celebrated the official release of their book, Finneas in the Big Wide World, followed by a launch event with young readers, families, and fans. Chloe and Mai first met Giang while attending UNIS before transferring to Concordia International School Hanoi their Sophomore year, where they collaborated on the project with their former classmate, who still attends UNIS.

Their story is one of artistic collaboration, navigating real-world industry challenges, and maintaining a two-year commitment through tight academic schedules.

The initiative started back in ninth grade when the group discovered a mutual love for drawing, creative writing, and environmentalism. Wanting to combine their talents into a unified piece of work, they set out to craft a children's story that could present complex global issues like climate action and habitat destruction in an engaging, accessible way for young minds.

"We all loved storytelling, and some of us enjoyed illustrating, so we thought creating a children's book would be a fun project to work on together while sharing meaningful lessons with younger children!" recalls Mai. "But then, what began as a small passion project eventually grew into something much bigger than we ever imagined!"

Initial brainstorming began in the hallways and classrooms between school periods. However, the core production took off during the summer break after ninth grade. The team combined individual story ideas into a single, central narrative centered on an elephant losing its home to human development.

The narrative follows Finneas, a young African savanna elephant whose native habitat is destroyed by human encroachment. Left without a home, Finneas meets a pair of twins named Arno and Abina, who, like Finneas, are also from South Africa. Together, the trio embarks on a worldwide quest to find a new, safe place for Finneas to live. Their global journey takes them through wonderfully diverse ecosystems, from the dense, vibrant foliage of the Amazon Rainforest and the frozen landscapes of the Arctic, to the lively sights and sounds of a cultural festival in Vietnam. Despite the beauty of each destination, Finneas comes to realize that none of these locations can replace his natural habitat. With the help of the friends he meets along the way, he ultimately returns to South Africa, determined to protect his true home and fight for the place where he belongs.

Despite the beauty of every destination, Finneas comes to an important realization: none of these incredible locations are truly his home because they aren't his natural habitat. With the support of the friends he meets along the way, Finneas returns to South Africa determined to protect his true home and fight for his natural habitat.

Ultimately, the book explores themes of environmental conservation, wildlife protection, friendship, and the idea that 'home' is more than just a location: it is where your community, family, and natural ecosystem belong. The authors' favorite part of the story is the ending, where the characters fight to protect Finneas's home so he can finally live there once again.

Transforming a manuscript and raw sketches into a published book turned into a two-year crash course in the publishing industry. Working alongside a local publishing house in Hanoi, the team navigated a full production workflow that involved scriptwriting, storyboarding, multiple drafting rounds, and color editing. Along the way, the young authors faced several real-world publishing hurdles that required flexibility and resilience.

One major obstacle involved regulatory revisions to align with local standards. In one key instance, a central scene featuring an elephant in circus clothing had to be completely rewritten to comply with Vietnamese legal standards regarding animals in entertainment. Additionally, the students had to adapt to technical design adjustments, working closely with editors to modify line outlines and color palettes to ensure high-quality visibility once printed on physical paper.

Beyond creative and regulatory edits, simply maintaining momentum was a project in itself. Juggling intensive High School workloads, academic commitments, and endless feedback proved exhausting, and the team occasionally felt frustrated by the extensive editing demands. Nevertheless, their shared dedication kept the project moving forward through every revision round, ultimately bringing their vision to print.

While the team successfully created manuscript editions in English and Vietnamese, they focused their primary physical publication on a bilingual English-Vietnamese edition printed in Hanoi. While finding distribution for the Japanese version posed challenges, the bilingual edition made its way to physical store shelves and online platforms such as Shopee and Bahasa.

To celebrate the milestone, a book launch event was hosted at the VNU bookstore on the campus of the Hanoi National University of Education. The event brought together friends, families, local fans, and young readers for an interactive Q&A session about environmental inspiration, alongside a raffle giveaway featuring travel kits and signed books.

For these High School Seniors, the book is only the beginning of their advocacy efforts. The team is currently working to place copies of Finneas in the Big Wide World in school libraries, including Concordia’s, to educate younger students on environmental stewardship.

Building on their commitment to animal rights, team members are also collaborating on Project 10th Life, a service project raising funds and donations for Sân Nhà Nhiều Chó, an animal shelter in Hanoi.

From High School Freshmen sketching ideas over break to published authors inspiring environmental action, these students have proven that a shared vision and persistence can turn a small idea into a lasting, global impact.

Learn more about Concordia Hanoi's Service Projects.