I was stunned by the beauty of this book. It is colourful, bright and boldly illustrated and though the story is tinged with sadness, it is overall a celebration of life, appreciating your family and wealth in non monetary forms.

Kalia's family live simply with little food and no money for extravagances but there is a lot of love. Grandma is precious and the grandchildren feel honoured to care for her, whether it is helping her bathe, taking care of her nails, it is all done with love.

Grandma is a Hmong, who grew up taking care of her siblings, knowing intense hunger "We lived always with hunger eating us on the inside". With her one tooth, Grandma was always happy to eat anything shared with her.

Kalia, as she grows older, begins to want more things. She has grown tired of being hungry for food, clothing and treats. It comes to Grandma, old and wise, to teach Kalia about the beauty of her life.

Completely stunning in story and art- this is "The Most Beautiful Thing"

~The Most Beautiful Thing~
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Thank you to #netgalley and #lernerpublishinggroup for the ARC #gifted
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The Most Beautiful Thing is a children’s book that explores the relationship between a grandmother and her grandchild. When I read this to Lily she was transfixed by the fictional grandmother, as she is dearly missing hers. The story magnifies the grandchild’s love for her grandmother through her selfless actions and her loving attention.
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A bit from the blurb:
“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 States. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le being this intergenerational tale to life.”
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Themes of love, family, ageing, and caring. I would recommend this book for children aged 3 and beyond.

What a beautiful story! I like looking for children's books that feature different cultures, because in the back of my mind, I keep this running list of books that I think I would like my future children to read. Seeing more books that feature different cultures makes me really happy because this isn't something I've been lucky to have growing up.

Kao Kalia Yang's The Most Beautiful Thing is such a lovely story, that I don't think you need to be a child to appreciate its story. It's a story about a young girl in a Hmong refugee family. Her grandmother lives with her, and she spends a lot of quality time with her grandmother. As she grows older, she starts to notice how her family can't afford certain luxuries, and it frustrates her, but her grandmother gently reminds her to appreciate the beauty of her life.

What's really beautiful of this book is how it incorporates elements of a the family's Hmong culture, from the patterns drawn in the illustrations, references to Hmong folklore, and the every day interactions in the family (such as eating together, doing chores together). The story itself isn't about Hmong culture, but Yang weaves the culture into this simple family story and because of this, is really reflective of the immigrant experience.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.
This was an absolutely beautifully written and illustrated book! It tells the struggles of a Hmong family from the perspective of a young girl tending to her grandmother. Her grandmother tells stories of her hard childhood and teaches the granddaughter that life can be hard and you won't get everything you wish for but life is still beautiful.
This book would be good for kids ages 5-9. Although, adults would like the story and find the illustrations beautiful.

A Hmong family with little money care for their old Grandma. She tells the children stories of when she grew up - before there were photographs and memories had to be stored in one’s heart.

This children’s book breathes with stunning colors and fantastic details. Sensory details relate to all the senses. (sweet smelling pink soap, the roughness of grandma’s feet with “deep cracks filled with dirt from long ago and far away,” the cold ice cubes that melted summer’s heat, hard peppermint candies.

The Most Beautiful Thing is a tender story that will open children’s eyes to a bigger world.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has beautiful illustrations and shares an important message. For children that identify with the story, it validates who they are. For children that don't share the experience portrayed in the story, it gives them a window into the world of someone different than them and creates an open door for valuable discussion. Thank you for Lerner Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

You could remove all of the text or all of the illustrations from this book and it would still be beautiful. As it is, it's stunning. It follows a family soon after their arrival in America from Laos and is inspired by the author's own experiences as a Hmong refugee.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

A beautiful and heartwarming multi-generational story about a Hmong immigrant who grew up with nothing and how she took care of her family to the best of her ability. Now, the grandchildren all take pride in helping to care for their elderly grandmother (clipping her nails and scrubbing her back in the bath). The family does not have much money for things like a new dress on the first day of school or for an ice cream at the ice cream truck, but they have a love and respect for one another – something our society often overlooks today. The Most Beautiful Thing’s illustrations are stunning and the detail in which the author shares of the beauty of the world will make for a wonderful book to share with my son when he is old enough to appreciate it fully.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lerner Publishing Group and Kao Kalia Yang for an ARC of this book. #TheMostBeautifulThing #NetGalley #KaoKaliaYang

The illustrations are beautiful and the story gave good insights into immigration and specifically Hmong traditions.

It is difficult to pick what is "the most beautiful thing" about this picture book! The story of the bond between granddaughter and grandmother is portrayed beautifully and authentically in this #ownvoices telling. The illustrations are GORGEOUS and the movement used within the images reflects both the movement of refugees, time, and growth as the main character learns and grows. Simple details like eating ice cubes instead of ice cream portray the reality of growing up poor while the sharing of peppermint candies remind readers of the joy in the little things. The message of love amidst strife and perseverance in the face of adversity go beyond this story and reminds readers of their own families and histories that they should not take for granted. A beautiful story that should be added to every library's collection!

Literature for children about Hmong families is rare, and this book, while somewhat instructive as to Hmong culture and history, is also relatable to all children due to the story of a child and her grandmother. The child in the story has a job -- to tend to her elderly grandmother's feet, and through doing so, learns much of her grandmother's history and hardship. The images in this book are gorgeous, as are the illustrations, and the writing is beautiful as evidenced by this passage, "By the time I was born, my grandmother already had an old woman's face. Her skin was soft but dry like paper and in her mouth was a single tooth. Grandma said, "it is the only thing standing strong in my mouth, this final tooth that my mother and father gave me."

This book shows the connection between generations and illustrates that although there may be no money in a family, love and unity are primary.

Two and a half stars. This visually attractive read for the young, those able to get through a few short paragraphs per double-page spread, is well-meaning, and not bad, but is a little patchy and uneven. It's about a young girl and her grandma, but it's also about poverty, and about self-acceptance, and about refugees, and about the Hmong experience – it's only the title and the concluding beat of the story that tells you what the main purpose of it all is. And in trying to be as rich as it wants, it doesn't quite peg all its washing out on the same firm line – some is left flapping too loosely in the wind, some dangling a little misshapenly.

I received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This true story was absolutely beautiful. It’s a multi-generational tale about a Hmong refugee who grew up with nothing, and how she took care of her family to the best of her ability. Now, they help take care of her as she tells stories from her previous life. As a young Kalia becomes frustrated with her family not having the money to provide all the things she wants, or thinks they need... she receives a reminder of what is truly beautiful and necessary in life.

The illustrations in this book are stunning. Wonderfully put together, this is a book I can’t wait to share with my daughter when she’s old enough to appreciate it properly.

The book has a beautiful title and a beautiful cover so I was quickly intrigued by that aspect. And when it comes to the art it is definitely quite beautiful and worth mentioning over.

The color palette mixes depending upon the mood of the page but there are a lot more exotic elements and richness added to the memories that Grandmother has. But even though we get snippets and pieces of her life in the homeland not much is really given to the reader to relate to such as what made her move to the United States and what happened to her siblings that she was left to raise. I know the story wasn't all about her but I would have loved to have gotten to know more about her past in relation to the story.

Another aspect is that the book does use names native to the culture as well as some words and there is no pronunciation guide for readers who aren't used to pronouncing such names. With the exception of the two mythic beings that were mentioned there was also no explanation as to their meaning for those who would like to know what they mean.

And finally for those who are going to get this book for their children I would recommend an explanation of the events for even though we can quite understand such as possible honors of trimming nails, washing the elder and her clothes the concepts more or less aren't common in many households nowadays while that may add confusion.

The message itself was heartwarming and beautiful but I cannot overlook what I saw as lacking in the book to be able to recommend it but it would make for a good addition to immigration stories.

***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

Filled with vibrant illustrations and simple narrations, the book brings us the heart warming story of a Hmong family. I enjoyed reading it.

I received an electronic ARC from Lerner Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Beautiful story of a family. Kalia yearns for things her family cannot afford - ice cream, new clothes, meat. This culminates when she asks for braces for her teeth and is told no as they can't afford them. Her discontent is woven through the book. Also woven through is her grandmother's journey. Her life of hardship after her parents died and she had to raise younger brothers and sisters. She came to the United States and raised her own family also. Her acceptance of little comes from not having anything so she models contentment and peace. It's through looking at and listening to her grandmother, that Kalia comes to acknowledge that she too will be okay with what they have.
The illustrations are gorgeous and bring out the emotions felt by the characters. Don't miss all the details in the background that share their story.
Helpful pronunciation guide before the story.

The Most Beautiful Thing is a stunningly illustrated picture book where the author tells of her childhood memories of her grandmother and her family. Multiple generations of this Hmong family live together and care for each other. The grandchildren all take pride in helping to care for their elderly grandmother who in turn tells them stories of growing up overseas. The family doesn't have much money so the narrator feels a little sad that she can't get a new dress for the first day of school or ice cream from the ice cream truck.

In the end she realizes that those things don't matter as much as her grandmother and the love they have for each other. This is a gorgeous book with a great message of treasuring family over things.

A heartwarming story about a young girl's relationship with her grandmother, a Hmong immigrant. Loved the beautiful, jewel like illustrations. The grandmother (though needing her grandchildren's help with things like bathing and having her nails cut) comes across as a strong, wise, kind woman. In the end the granddaughter learns what the "most beautiful thing" is from her grandmother.

A fascinating, gorgeously illustrated children’s book about the importance of family. ‘The Most Beautiful Thing’ is simply presented, but contains a myriad of complex issues including care and respect of elders, death, hardship, and poverty. The illustrations are bright and beautiful and show scenes of great tenderness. What I found most interesting is how different each generation’s lives are, but how we can appreciate the experiences and strengths of our family members.

Thank you NetGalley and Carolrhoda Books for providing this ARC.

This is an interesting take on children who want something that the family can't give them, such as material things.

Kalia wants to be beautiful, and she thinks the best way to do that is to straighten her teeth, but when she asks for braces, her family tells her they can't afford it. They are Hmong refugees in the United States, and they have to save and work for every penny they can get.

Her grandmother, whom she adores, and helps take care of, asks if she is beautiful, herself, despite only having one tooth left.

What I love about this story is the love that the children have for their grandmother, who they are honored to brush her hair, or trim her toe nails. This is a kind of attention to the elderly that is not often found in White children's literature.

Gorgeous illustrations. A bit on the long side, but the pictures carry the story along.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.