(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jiemei Lin. Tenderly told in first person, Yang's lyrical autobiographical picture book depicts her childhood struggle with selective mutism. Her descriptions of how selective mutism presents at school are vivid and authentic, as when she relates the distressing experience of being called to speak during attendance: "Trying to get the air out of my mouth feels like I'm pushing my heart up into my throat." Readers learn that her discomfort with speaking stems from alienating experiences witnessing the impatience of native English speakers when her immigrant Hmong mother tries to communicate. In contrast, young Kalia is comfortable speaking Hmong with her family at home, where "everyone speaks normally to everyone else. It is a song, uninterrupted, and it flows and flows." Classmates, portrayed with various skin tones, are shown engaged in conversation or play while Kalia remains alone, immersed in examining natural objects such as a feather or pebble. Lin's earth tones and muted colors reflect Kalia's affinity with the natural world. Nods to Hmong culture are captured through Lin's illustrations of clothing, meals, and artwork adorning the household. The story ends with a hopeful encounter with a potential friend. In the author's note, Yang provides a pronunciation guide and translations and shares her journey to finding her voice through writing.

Reviewer: Kristine Techavanich | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rachel Wada. "Father, is all of the world a refugee camp?" In sensitive and empowering words, Yang speaks about historical truths and shares her own childhood story with readers. Born to Hmong refugees in Thailand, little Kalia has never seen the world beyond the gate of the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. To answer her question, Kalia's father climbs with her to the top of the tallest tree--from where she can see the view beyond the camp's gate and "the place where the sky meets the earth." Kalia now knows that the world is bigger than anything one can imagine, and that no gates or fences should hold her back from experiencing it. Wada's mixed-media and digital illustrations employ a muted palette of yellows, browns, and military greens that perfectly complements the narrative. Details are clearly depicted to reflect camp life from little Kalia's point of view--watching a "bald rooster," riding a large dog, "crouch[ing] low" to look for fruit. The author's note, which includes a real-life photo of ­four-year-old Yang and her father high in the tree, shares a good amount of autobiographical detail plus some historical background. A list of Hmong words and a map of Thailand are also appended.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Seo Kim. A Hmong American family--mother, father, Tais Tais (grandmother), and little girl--moves into a cozy house across the street from a loving elderly couple, Bob and Ruth. The girl's twin baby brothers are born; the seasons pass; the outdoor landscape changes; and in wintertime Ruth dies. When spring comes, Bob takes his seat on the "special bench" that he and Ruth had shared; it's clear that he is grieving, and the little girl uses her skill with sidewalk chalk--and her great compassion--to brighten up his outlook and their neighborhood. Yang's story is an understated (if somewhat sentimental) snapshot of family life over the course of a quietly transformative year. The text is straightforward and spare, with touches of lyricism ("The house across the street looked empty. The gingko trees reached for the sky with their thin fingers"). Culturally specific details are naturally incorporated into the text and into the textured, delicate-lined, digitally created illustrations. A brief glossary on the copyright page explains that the protagonist's name, Paj Ntaub, is both a girl's name and the word for the traditional needlework often used to create story cloths like the one hanging on the family's wall (also shown in close-up detail on the endpapers), "which visually represent and document the experiences of the Hmong people across time, including families' journeys as refugees."

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020