Quiet, lyrical, and profound, The Rock in My Throat tells the true story of author Kao Kalia Yang’s experience as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day.
An author’s note at the end of the book reflects on how and why Kalia became a selective mute and how she eventually found her voice. Today, Kalia joins us to share her experience writing this story. Read on to download a free teaching guide and listen to an original composition, created specifically for this picture book.
How long did it take you to write this story?
The idea for this story came from Carol Hinz, my Lerner editor, actually. Once I received the idea from my agent, Erin Murphy, I wrote the story within an hour. Selective mutism is something I lived with for a majority of my life. It was a story that needed to be told, that was burning for release.
What is the most surprising element of this story for you?
I was shocked that a story about mutism ended on an experience of true friendship, that the story ends when our protagonist is offered a pathway into friendship away from her inability to speak, that she finds a friend who is patient and kind enough to offer her understanding via the written word. I hadn’t seen this as an ending to this story.
What do you love most about the experience of this book coming together?
I was tremendously moved by the intimate understanding and the absolute care that the illustrator, Jiemei Lin, brought to the project. The story I know and have lived has been transformed via the artistry of Jiemei Lin into a preservation enterprise that is larger than my small life; it honors the loneliness of language, the love of family, the quiet of the seasons, the ache to connect and be understood.
Praise for The Rock in My Throat
★”A heartfelt story that teaches children about diversity and reflects difficulties with being different, understood, and accepted.”—starred, Booklist
“Yang’s poetic prose sings in perfect unison with Lin’s gorgeously textured illustrations, rendered in earthy tones . . . A powerful window into the perspective of a young immigrant.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Yang traces a Hmong-speaking child’s experience of selective mutism. . . Lin’s digital illustrations employ scale and perspective to smart effect.”—Publishers Weekly
“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. . . Lin’s earth tones and muted colors reflect Kalia’s affinity with the natural world.”—The Horn Book Magazine
Official Music Video
On March 5th author Kao Kalia Yang and illustrator Jiemei Lin read The Rock in My Throat at the Mall of America accompanied by an original composition by Jocelyn Hagen. Listen to this beautiful music created especially for the story.
Free Educator Resources
Download the free educator resource created by AmazeWorks to find reflection questions, journal prompts, and more! This resource is available below and on the Lerner website.
Connect with the Creators
Kao Kalia Yang is an award-winning author of books for children and adults including Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature winner From the Tops of the Trees. She lives in Minnesota and is committed to the telling of stories that will inspire hope, find beauty, and offer refuge to those in need.
Jiemei Lin is an artist born in Hangzhou, China, currently living and working in the Inland Northwest, Washington State. Lin works with both digital media and traditional media to create paintings, murals, and illustrations. Lin’s mission as Illustrator is to represent and communicate with all audiences from underrepresented groups in her own visual language. As a public artist, Lin has been designing and executing large-scale public murals in both the pacific and inland Northwest.