Web Books
With over 25 years of experience, I have designed and developed many kinds of web sites. In recent years, however, I enjoy crafting web-based books. With the support of web fonts, book typography on the web is as good as typesetting on the page. With the adoption of responsive design, books published on the web can be accessed anywhere and read on any digital device. That’s the beauty of web books.
The American Robin
The definitive book on the American Robin is now available to read for free on any device and anywhere in the world. Len Eiserer, the author, would like to leave The American Robin behind for people to remember him by. It was my honor to create this web book in his legacy.
badòngthơ
Written by physician-poet Cao Nguyên, badòngthơ is a book of three-line poetry. The form is similar to the Japanese haiku, but Cao Nguyên also plays with three, five, and seven syllables. When he asked me to bring badòngthơ to the web, I jumped at the opportunity.
Làm Đĩ
Published in 1936, Làm Đĩ is a novel on prostitution written by Vũ Trọng Phụng, an influential author and journalist. After reading the book, I loved it so much that I decided to create a web book version to preserve it.
Groovy Guide to Life
In Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Life, Kimberly and James Dean collected inspiring quotes to live by. After reading the book with my five-year-old son, I decided to translate the quotes in Vietnamese and create a web book version to keep my life groovy.
Cổ Tích Nhi Đồng
Reading Vietnamese children folk tales reminds me of my childhood in Việt Nam. I was glad to see these stories translated into English. I created a web book version so my kids can read these folk tales to learn about their roots.
Truyện Kiều
Nguyễn Du’s Truyện Kiều is recognized as the masterpiece of Vietnamese national literature. Structured in lục-bát (six-eight) couplets, Truyện Kiều, which consists of 3,254 lines, is not only a literary Bible, but also a national epic that has inspired political debate, social critique, and revolutionary spirit. In creating the web book, I also added The Tale of Kiều, translated by Vương Thanh, for English readers.
Cây Cối Quê Hương
A children book of poetry on homeland trees, Cây Cối Quê Hương consists of beautiful, poetic words that will light up the young readers’ souls, bring them closer to nature, and help with their language development in Vietnamese and English.
The Familý Stories
Personal stories of the Lý family told through my mother’s youngest sister, Lý Minh Anh, who is the only surviving sibling. I offered to create a web book to keep the Lý legacy for the future generations to learn about their ancestors. The web book is only available for our family members.
Vietnamese Typography
Published as my final thesis for my MA in graphic design from George Mason University School of Art, Vietnamese Typography had quickly become an essential guide for designing Vietnamese diacritics.
Thơ Mưa
To celebrate the book’s twenty-fifth anniversary, Cao Nguyên, the author, tapped me to create a web version of Thơ Mưa (Rain Poetry) to share with friends, family, and Vietnamese readers around the world. I was happy to comply.
Pro Web Type
Published as an independent study for my graduate course in graphic design, Pro Web Type combines theory and practicality on the emerging support of web fonts. My goal is to prove that typesetting is fun and rewarding—not intimidating.
Praise
Fascinating journey through the art of web-based books! It’s inspiring to see blended traditional storytelling with modern design, making literature accessible and preserving it digitally. This work beautifully showcases the power of responsive design and web fonts in creating immersive reading experiences across devices. Keep up the amazing work in bringing stories to life online!