The Most Beautiful Thing

by Kao Kalia Yang

Hardcover, 2020

Status

Available

Collections

Favorites, Picture books

Publication

Carolrhoda Books ® (2020), Edition: Illustrated, 32 pages

Description

"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"--

User reviews

LibraryThing member eo206

This is a wonderful book about a Hmong immigrant family taking care of their elder, grandma. The story revolves around the grandma and how her granddaughter helps to take care of her. It starts with the girl saying she doesn't know how old grandma is, and recalling stories from her youth. As the

girl gets older she resents the poverty the family is living with but also understands the richness of family when she thinks about her grandma. The illustrations are expressive and vibrant which make the story full. This would be a good addition to a school or classroom library.

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LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26

Hmong-American author and memoirist Kao Kalia Yang turns to her own childhood and to her relationship with her grandmother in this poignant autobiographical picture-book. Helping to care for this beloved elder, listening to her stories about her childhood in Laos, and receiving some important

wisdom from her, the narrator is given comfort and reassurance, when her family cannot afford to give her braces, by her grandmother's loving smile. Despite poverty and hardship, despite the fact that her grandmother has only one tooth left, this smile is the most beautiful thing...

I initially sought out The Most Beautiful Thing because I am an admirer of the illustrator, Vietnamese artist Khoa Le. I have read and enjoyed three of Le's own picture-books - The Cloud Princess, Sun and Moon Sisters and The Boy with the Big Hair - and was delighted to see that she is becoming better known here in the states, and receiving commissions from mainstream American publishers. Needless to say, the artwork here was absolutely gorgeous, with a beautifully deep but subtle color palette, elegantly stylized figures, and an overall composition that was as creative as it was appealing. The story was moving, highlighting how family love, as symbolized by the grandmother's smile, can hold people together during tough times, and bring beauty and joy to all. I was struck by the fact that Kao Kalia and her sister and cousins had to physically care for their grandmother, and found some of these scenes unexpectedly moving. As someone who lived apart from my grandparents as a child, this was not an experience I ever had, but I can understand it now, caring for my elderly mother. Highly recommended, to fellow Khoa Le fans, and to picture-book readers seeking stories about grandparents, immigrant families, poverty, and/or the Hmong-American experience.

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