Author and Illustrator Vuthy “Woody” Kuon Visits Hoffman Middle School

Vuthy “Woody” Kuon

Author and illustrator [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Vuthy “Woody” Kuon recently visited Hoffman Middle School. He talked to students about his background as an immigrant and how teachers inspired him to succeed.

Kuon is the author of some popular children’s books including Humpty Dumpty After the Fall, Elmer the Dog, and Mikey and the Monster Vacuum. He has more than 80 published books.

ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX television have all featured Kuon. Since 1996, he has been visiting 100 schools per year.

“I love making kids laugh,” said Kuon. “My goals are to inspire students to love writing, art and books. I hope to inspire them through the use of humor, storytelling and a whole lotta funny faces and movements.”

Kuon’s presentation “The Million Faces of Humpty Dumpty” has been captivating audiences for years. Dwanna Callaway is also praising the presentation he gave in the library. Callaway serves as the information literacy specialist at Hoffman Middle School.

“This was definitely one of the best presentations we have ever had,” said Callaway.

Many of the Hoffman Middle School students that attended the presentation could relate to Kuon. Like him, many are immigrants. And like Kuon when he was young, they are learning English. He also spoke to art students.

Kuon’s high energy kept the students captivated. He used drawings and performed a dramatic book reading. He also shared his heart-warming story of being a Cambodian refugee who came to America. And he talked about how he overcame insurmountable odds.

In the mid-1970s, Kuon and his family lived in Cambodia during that country’s vicious civil war. His entire town relocated to a refugee camp in Thailand in 1975. His life changed when a Houston family sponsored Kuon’s family to move them to the Space City.

He described to students how nervous he was as a young immigrant in school learning a new language and culture. But the words of encouragement he received from his second grade teacher made a world of difference. From that moment forward, Kuon worked hard to be successful in school and beyond.

Kuon grew up poor. Yet at a young age, he showed an entrepreneurial spirit. He sold his artwork to his elementary school classmates. In middle school, he discovered that candy sold well. His mom bought him candy to sell to kids at school. The small profit helped feed his family. Kuon later went on to sell his handcrafted hacky sacs. By the time he reached high school, he made his own lunch money by selling comic books he created for friends.

After graduating from high school, Kuon gained acceptance into the Rhode Island School of Design. The RISD is one of the top fine arts and design colleges. Besides writing and illustrating books, he owns a company, [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Providence Publishing. According to Kuon, he is living the American Dream.

“I worked hard to climb up the ladder of success,” said Kuon. “And I want others to grasp the American Dream too. This is what drives me to inspire children.”

According to Callaway, Kuon kept the students engaged throughout the presentation. He even had students take part in creating Humpty’s new face. Kuon also gave the students drawing tips.

“Mr. Kuon encouraged students to continue their education,” said Callaway. “And he told them to always to do the best in everything they attempt.

“Mr. Kuon is a wonderful presenter, and his personal story of success is inspiring. The students and staff members enjoyed his presentation. And Mr. Kuon amazed everyone with his energetic and animated storytelling abilities.”

The campus’ International Baccalaureate (IB) program made Kuon’s presentation possible. Angela Hall serves as [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Hoffman Middle School‘s IB coordinator. The campus provides the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Middle Years Program. Aldine ISD offers the entire IB continuum — Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program and Diploma.