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calistareads's review
4.0
This won the Asian literary award for 2023. I'm not sure if the award is like Caldecott and it's for art, or if it's for the whole story.
This is a bit of a memoir. The author tells of a time in 1985 when she was in a refugee camp in Thailand. The Hmong people were leaving their countries being persecuted, I think they were in Vietnam and Laos.
This little girl asks her dad if all the world is a refugee camp. The father wants her to know there is more to the world than just their day to day situation. He climbs a tree so she can see how much world there is. It's a beautiful sentiment.
I can't say I like the artwork. It uses, greens, grays, whites and browns. It's a limited color palette, but it is part of the feeling, the tone and the mood of the story that really gets across so much of what she went through. It's not meant to be eye catching, but to convey a feeling of what this person experience. Ok, well, that's my guess and what I got from it.
I didn't know anything about this part of history. It takes some bravery to put your faith in a place all the way around the world from everything one knows.
I don't think this book is for everyone, but it's a good story and some good facts about the rest of the world you probably don't know about.
This is a bit of a memoir. The author tells of a time in 1985 when she was in a refugee camp in Thailand. The Hmong people were leaving their countries being persecuted, I think they were in Vietnam and Laos.
This little girl asks her dad if all the world is a refugee camp. The father wants her to know there is more to the world than just their day to day situation. He climbs a tree so she can see how much world there is. It's a beautiful sentiment.
I can't say I like the artwork. It uses, greens, grays, whites and browns. It's a limited color palette, but it is part of the feeling, the tone and the mood of the story that really gets across so much of what she went through. It's not meant to be eye catching, but to convey a feeling of what this person experience. Ok, well, that's my guess and what I got from it.
I didn't know anything about this part of history. It takes some bravery to put your faith in a place all the way around the world from everything one knows.
I don't think this book is for everyone, but it's a good story and some good facts about the rest of the world you probably don't know about.
maxcfb's review
5.0
Kao Kalia Yang writes some of the most gorgeous picture books I’ve ever seen, like [b:A Map Into the World|43272260|A Map Into the World|Kao Kalia Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563395342l/43272260._SX50_.jpg|67157267] and [b:The Most Beautiful Thing|50420562|The Most Beautiful Thing|Kao Kalia Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592252972l/50420562._SX50_.jpg|75390919]—and this book is personal, recounting her childhood growing up in a Hmong refugee camp in Thailand, and how she learned about the world beyond the camp’s small confines.
Young Kalia’s life is confined, but it is still beautiful, with two caring parents, and several other young friends who make the most of their situation together. Though certainly, the melancholy and stuckness are not lost on the adults in the camp, nor are the poor conditions (one rule in particular is appalling to read about).
The ending of the story is unexpected and beautiful, although I won’t give anything away—just know that it is incredible.
Beyond the absolutely gorgeous writing, Rachel Wada’s illustrations are simply stunning, with neutral yet rich, layered colors that bring the solemn beauty of the world and the characters to life. There are a few spreads in particular that I keep coming back to again and again.
Click here to see the full review on my blog!
Young Kalia’s life is confined, but it is still beautiful, with two caring parents, and several other young friends who make the most of their situation together. Though certainly, the melancholy and stuckness are not lost on the adults in the camp, nor are the poor conditions (one rule in particular is appalling to read about).
The ending of the story is unexpected and beautiful, although I won’t give anything away—just know that it is incredible.
Beyond the absolutely gorgeous writing, Rachel Wada’s illustrations are simply stunning, with neutral yet rich, layered colors that bring the solemn beauty of the world and the characters to life. There are a few spreads in particular that I keep coming back to again and again.
Click here to see the full review on my blog!
sunflowerjess's review
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
The illustrations in this book blew me away, and the story did, too.
kimberlyjerger's review
4.0
*4.5
2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Picture Book Winner
2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Picture Book Winner