The Most Beautiful Thing

When young Kalia wants ice cream, she has to make do with ice cubes from the freezer. When she wants new dress for the first day of school, her mother gives her a few coins to spend on candy at the corner store. And when she wants meat for dinner, she must settle for a piece of bone that flavors the family's soup.

Finally, Kalia becomes tired of longing for what she cannot have. When she asks for braces to straighten her crooked teeth, which her family cannot afford, it is her grandmother who helps her see what is truly beautiful.

Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with little money -- and a great deal of love. 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 Sates. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this inter-generational tale to life.

• By Kao Kalia Yang
• Illustrated by Khoa Le