The Most Beautiful Thing

by Kao Kalia Yang, Khoa Le (Illustrator)

Overview

A warmhearted and tender true story about a young girl finding beauty where she never thought to look.

Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with a great deal of love and little money. Weaving together Kalia's story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family's early years in the United States.

When Kalia becomes unhappy about having to do without and decides she wants braces to improve her smile, it is her grandmother—a woman who has just one tooth in her mouth—who helps her see that true beauty is found with those we love most. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this intergenerational tale to life.

"A deep and moving reflection on enduring hardship and generational love. . . . Poignant storytelling with stunning visuals."—starred, Kirkus Reviews

"A sincere narrative that centers on the power of family love."—starred, School Library Journal

Minnesota Book Award Finalist, ALA Notable Children's Book, New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, NPR Best Book of the Year

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541561915
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	508,057
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kao Kalia Yang is a Hmong American writer, teacher and public speaker. Born in the refugee camps of Thailand to a family that escaped the genocide of the Secret War in Laos, she came to America at the age six. Yang holds degrees from Carleton College and Columbia University. Her work includes creative nonfiction, poetry, and children's books such as A Map into the World, The Shared Room, and From the Tops of the Trees. Her work has won numerous awards and recognition including multiple Minnesota Book Awards, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, an ALA Notable Children's Book Award, the 2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Dayton's Literary Peace Prize, and a PEN USA Award in Nonfiction.

Khoa Le has illustrated picture books published in a number of different countries, including the 2020 Sydney Taylor Honor book Miriam at the River. She is also an author, a graphic designer, and a painter. Khoa has a passion for travel, an eagerness to learn about different cultures, and a desire to discover the beauty of the world. Her inner moth makes her attracted to any source of light, but her dream is to one day see the northern lights. She lives in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, with her five cats.

Editorial Reviews

11/16/2020

Yang centers her cherished paternal grandmother in this poignant picture book memoir. Utilizing the past tense, Yang’s narration is effectively mythologizing (“All my life with her, even with just her one tooth, Grandma never said no when we offered her something to eat”), crafting a portrait of her grandmother as a strong matriarch who was orphaned young, foraged for food for her three younger siblings, and once faced down a tiger, yet still persisted. As Kalia gets older, though, she begins to grow frustrated with the amenities her family regularly forgoes as poor Hmong refugees— and when Kalia asks for braces, Grandma reminds her what truly matters. The level of detail in Le’s textural illustrations, rendered in mixed media and digitally, recalls the intricate needlework designs of traditional Hmong textiles, and the story’s depths of familial love and history ground the narrative. Front matter includes a bilingual glossary, including pronunciations. Ages 7–8. Author’s Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Kate Kendrick, Astound US. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"A sincere narrative that centers on the power of family love."—starred, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 11/01/2020

K-Gr 3—A heartfelt narrative alongside beautiful mixed-media images. Yang, who was born in the refugee camps of Thailand and moved to America with her family at the age of six, draws on her personal experiences as a Hmong refugee. Yang and her family did not have money to buy treats from the ice cream truck or purchase new clothes for the first day of school. After every Hmong New Year, the grandchildren stationed themselves around Grandma to listen to her childhood stories. When Yang started to feel the burden of growing up without financial privilege, her grandmother provided a loving, illuminating perspective. This tender picture book highlights the importance of familial bonds and human resilience in the midst of material struggle. Vietnamese illustrator Le depicts lush scenes that are realistic and fantastical. The stories of Grandma's past swirl with rich colors. The depictions of poverty across generations will elicit empathy. VERDICT A sincere narrative that centers on the power of family love. Recommended for fans of Yang's previous work as well as those who enjoyed Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard and Saturday by Oge Mora.—Hilary Tufo, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., Reynoldsburg, OH

School Library Journal

★ 2020-07-14
A deep and moving reflection on enduring hardship and generational love.

Kalia’s grandmother holds a revered place among her Hmong family. Her origins feel almost mythic in stature as Kalia recounts how no one knows Grandma’s true age and how, as a young girl, she escaped a tiger in the jungle. Grandma is a survivor; the struggles of raising her orphaned siblings and immigrating across the world have only made her stronger. Despite a life of adversity, Grandma continues to smile through challenges. As Kalia grows older, she struggles with her family’s poverty until Grandma offers a powerful reminder of what matters most. This picture-book memoir for older readers explores perseverance, financial hardship, and the richness of family connection. Gorgeously illustrated with lush florals and foliage, these images capture both the magic and constancy of Grandma’s love. Nods to the importance of fabric in Hmong culture are represented with beautiful paj ntaub–style endpapers symbolizing family and the embroidered designs on Grandma’s clothing. She is the only character pictured in these traditional fabrics, representing her honored matriarch status and the legacy she passes along: an ability to bloom even in the toughest conditions.

Poignant storytelling with stunning visuals. (pronunciation guide, glossary) (Picture book/biography. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews