Kao Kalia Yang

"Drawn from Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this heartfelt picture book offers a window into the life of a family with little money and a great deal of love"--

The Most Beautiful Thing

renee badenoch

Gorgeous picture book about a Hmong immigrant family and the bond the daughter has with her grandmother. I loved the realistic portrayal of poverty: both the way that sacrifices and substitutions can be hard for a person, and also the way that there are deep and profound bonds and joys that can not be bought. I loved the way that the book talked about hardship without exploiting it... It is a moving book that can make you cry, but without revelling in the family's pain. 

#ownvoices and based off the authors' real experiences growing up and her relationship with her grandmother.

Ethel

Stunning graphic novel that everyone should read

Hmong (pronounced mohng) are an ethnic minority from Southeast Asia that, stating in 1975, came to the United states as refugees of war. This really short graphic novel is about the author’s childhood experience as a refugee. First of all, thank you Khoa Le for the amazing illustrations. They are absolutely stunning and made the story so much better; it added a touch of magic and exoticness. Another thank you to the author for the explanation about how to pronounce the names and what they mean at the beginning of the book, it was very useful. The story is quite nice and I wouldn’t just categorise it as a children’s book. I think everyone can learn a bit from it, from the love it shows. The only negative point is that the ending could have been better, more developed as it felt a bit like an abrupt ending. However, do not let this prevent you from reading this book as it allows you to discover the Hmong minority (that I personally did not know about) and therefore, to diverse your reading. Also, the illustrations: it’s impossible not to love them.

This amazing graphic novel will be released on the 6th of October so be there!

Read on Netgalley for free in exchange of my honest opinion.

sesa

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Hannah DCamp

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.

The Most Beautiful Thing

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