A Map into the World

  • Interest Level: Kindergarten - Grade 3
  • Reading Level: Grade 2

“Filled with wonder and sorrow and happiness.” —Alison McGhee, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Someday

A heartfelt story of a young girl seeking beauty and connection in a busy world.

As the seasons change, so too does a young Hmong girl’s world. She moves into a new home with her family and encounters both birth and death. As this curious girl explores life inside her house and beyond, she collects bits of the natural world. But who are her treasures for?

A moving picture book debut from acclaimed Hmong American author Kao Kalia Yang.

“Full of heart. And hope. This is exactly the kind of book I want to read to my daughter, and I wish I could hand a copy to every kid. Powerful, beautiful, and transcendent.”—Newbery medalist and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Peña

“With the clear, careful, and beautiful language we’ve come to expect from her, Kao Kalia Yang unfurls her first children’s book, a journey waiting to reward our every step. This sad but heartening work reminds us how important it is that we care for our neighbors, and in so doing, we may discover we are not so different—a message that our children need now, more than ever.”—Bao Phi, author of A Different Pond

“A young Hmong girl settles into her new home, and as the seasons change, so does the world around her. A Map Into the World is a beautiful and hopeful story about love and loss, family and friendship, and it belongs in every reader’s hands.”—Sarah Park Dahlen, Associate Professor in the MLIS Program at St. Catherine

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Interest Level Kindergarten - Grade 3
Reading Level Grade 2
Genre Picture Books
Category Diverse Books: Immigration & Refugees, Diverse Books: #OwnVoices, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diversity, SEL: A Self-Awareness, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2019
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Carolrhoda Books ®
Language English
Number of Pages 32
Publication Date 2019-10-01
Text Type Fiction
BISACS JUV039030, JUV011020, JUV039060
Dewey [E]
Graphics Full-color illustrations
Dimensions 9.25 x 11
Lexile 560
Guided Reading Level P
ATOS Reading Level 3.7
Accelerated Reader® Quiz 503619
Accelerated Reader® Points 0.5
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Awards, Original artwork, Reviewed, and Starred Reviews

Author, Narrator: Kao Kalia Yang

Kao Kalia Yang is a Hmong American writer, teacher and public speaker. Born in the refugee camps of Thailand to a family that escaped the genocide of the Secret War in Laos, she came to America at the age six. Yang holds degrees from Carleton College and Columbia University. Her work includes creative nonfiction, poetry, and children's books such as A Map into the World, The Shared Room, and From the Tops of the Trees. Her work has won numerous awards and recognition including multiple Minnesota Book Awards, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, an ALA Notable Children's Book Award, the 2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Dayton's Literary Peace Prize, and a PEN USA Award in Nonfiction.

Illustrator: Seo Kim

Seo Kim received her MFA in Illustration Practice from Maryland Institute College of Art. A South Korean native, she divides her time between Busan and Baltimore. Seo lives with her family in Baltimore, Maryland, where she teaches illustration at Towson University.

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Awards

  • Gold House Book Club Reading List, Winner, 2021
  • Star of the North Picture Book Award Nominee, Nominated, 2021
  • Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices, Winner, 2020
  • ALA Notable Children's Books, Winner, 2020
  • Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, Commended, 2020
  • Minnesota Book Award: Children's Literature, Winner, 2020
  • Kirkus Best Children's Books, Winner, 2019
  • MIBA Midwest Connections Pick, Winner, 2019

Reviews

The Horn Book Magazine

“Culturally specific details are naturally incorporated into the text and into the textured, delicate-lined, digitally created illustrations.”—The Horn Book Magazine

Shelf Awareness

“[A] quietly uplifting picture book.”—Shelf Awareness

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“A gentle, subtle introduction to life’s changes and seasons, this comfortingly allows kids to approach difficult topics from a safe distance.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Booklist

“Kim’s digital artwork using pastels, graphite, watercolors, and hand-scanned textures captures the warmth of family, the charm of changing seasons, and the depth of friendships.”—Booklist

Publishers Weekly

“A distinctive story that weaves together threads of family life, community and culture, the natural world, and the power of stories.”—starred, Publishers Weekly

Kirkus Reviews

“Contemplative, curious, and kind.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews

Sarah Park Dahlen

“A young Hmong girl settles into her new home, and as the seasons change, so does the world around her. A Map Into the World is a beautiful and hopeful story about love and loss, family and friendship, and it belongs in every reader’s hands.”—Sarah Park Dahlen, Associate Professor in the MLIS Program at St. Catherine University

Bao Phi

“With the clear, careful, and beautiful language we’ve come to expect from her, Kao Kalia Yang unfurls her first children’s book, a journey waiting to reward our every step.”—Bao Phi, author of A Different Pond

Alison McGhee

“The world of this book is filled with wonder and sorrow and happiness. Kao Kalia Yang’s lovely, gentle story will keep readers young and old returning to these pages again and again.”—Alison McGhee, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Someday

Matt de la Peña

“Powerful, beautiful, and transcendent.”—Newbery medalist and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Peña