The Most Beautiful Thing (Chinese Edition)

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

A warmhearted and tender true story about a young girl finding beauty where she never thought to look, now in Simplified Chinese (Mandarin).

Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang’s childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with a great deal of love and little money. Weaving together Kalia’s story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family’s early years in the United States.

When Kalia becomes unhappy about having to do without and decides she wants braces to improve her smile, it is her grandmother—a woman who has just one tooth in her mouth—who helps her see that true beauty is found with those we love most. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this intergenerational tale to life.

“A deep and moving reflection on enduring hardship and generational love. . . . Poignant storytelling with stunning visuals.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews

“A sincere narrative that centers on the power of family love.”—starred, School Library Journal

Minnesota Book Award Finalist, ALA Notable Children’s Book, New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, NPR Best Book of the Year

这是一个温情温柔的真实故事,讲述一个年轻女孩在她从未想过的地方发现了美。

这本感人的图画书取材于作者 Kao Kalia Yang 作为苗族难民的童年经历,描绘了一个没有钱却充满爱的家庭。这本书将 Kalia 的故事和她深爱的祖母的故事交织在一起,讲述了她们一家从老挝丛林到早年在美国的生活。

当 Kalia 对勉强度日感到不高兴,决定要戴牙套来改善自己的笑容时,是她那嘴里只剩一颗牙齿的祖母帮助她明白,真正的美存在于我们最爱的人身上。越南插画家 Khoa Le 创作的精彩插图让这个代际故事变得生动起来。

“对忍受苦难和两代人之间的爱做了深刻而感人的反思。……以出色的图画讲述辛酸的故事。”—星级书评,《柯克斯书评》

“一篇以亲情的力量为中心的真挚故事。”—星级书评,学校图书馆杂志

明尼苏达图书奖入围图书、美国图书馆协会 (ALA) 著名儿童图书、纽约公共图书馆最佳儿童图书、美国国家公共电台 (NPR) 年度最佳图书

Format Your Price Add
978-1-7284-4892-3
$17.99
978-1-7284-4918-0
$22.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on hardcovers and ebooks when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Kindergarten - Grade 3
Reading Level Grade 2
Genre Picture Books, Social Studies
Category 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Books: Immigration & Refugees, Diverse Books: #OwnVoices, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diversity, SEL: A Self-Awareness, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2021
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Carolrhoda Books ®
Language Chinese
Number of Pages 40
Publication Date 2021-08-01
Text Type Narrative Nonfiction
BISACS JNF007050, JNF019030, JNF018020
Dewey 305.8959/72073
Dimensions 8.5 x 10.375
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Original artwork, Teaching Guides, and eSource

Author: 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 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: Khoa Le

Khoa Le has illustrated picture books published in a number of different countries, including the 2020 Sydney Taylor Honor book Miriam at the River. She is also an author, a graphic designer, and a painter. Khoa has a passion for travel, an eagerness to learn about different cultures, and a desire to discover the beauty of the world. Her inner moth makes her attracted to any source of light, but her dream is to one day see the northern lights. She lives in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, with her five cats.

Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!

The Most Beautiful Thing (Chinese Edition)

A warmhearted and tender true story about a young girl finding beauty where she never thought to look, now in Simplified Chinese (Mandarin). Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang’s childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a… View available downloads →