A rich, lavishly-illustrated tender story of a young girl who learns from her grandmother’s difficult-but-beautiful life.

Beautiful illustrations and a wonderful message! This is great for children to see themselves represented or for children to learn about other experiences. I will recommend this to my teacher friends.

This book is so cute and the illustrations are so well done and colorful. It felt surreal as I read the simple story of the simplest things we overlook.
It's a children book children will adore. Not only does the pictures call to them, the writing style is quite easy to read and relate to.

The illustrations of this are utterly divine! The story is lovely, but it's the gorgeous illustrations that absolutely make this a must for any primary school library.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love children's picture books. Like, really love them. I haven't read nearly enough, but I believe it is storytelling in its most accessible and beautiful. A lot of children's picture books can transcend age, and they can have an impact on anyone - be it a young child or a senior. "The Most Beautiful Thing" by Kao Kalia Yang was no exception.

This non-fiction story follows the author as a child as she grapples with her family's financial situation, as well as feeling such strong love for her Grandmother who grew up across the world a long time ago and wanting to know more about her life. Kao Kalia grows tired of never getting the things she wants in her life, and things come to a head when she decides she wants braces for her crooked teeth - but her family cannot afford it. This is disappointing for her until she sees the woman she admires and loves most, her Grandmother, and her one single tooth left in her mouth. The concept of the story may sound strange, but it was truly lovely and heartwarming. "The Most Beautiful Thing", at its core, is a story about love, family, history. and the idea that we don't always need what we want. Because of this, it is a wonderful book for anyone to read.

Additionally, the illustrations in this book are just... beyond anything I've ever seen before. They were absolutely stunning. Khoa Le, the illustrator, did such a magnificent job. The actual writing in this book wasn't my favourite thing in the world, and I found the storytelling to be a bit flawed (the story seemed to reach its "solution" too quickly), but the book itself is absolutely gorgeous. The scenes are vivid, and you can just feel the magic and history flowing from the pages. If the synopsis doesn't interest you, I highly recommend you pick up "The Most Beautiful Thing' because of the art, at the very least.

Overall, this was a memorable and delightful read. I'm glad I picked it up. I will remember the story and the pictures for a very long time. If my memory serves me well, I have never read a book about the Hmong people. I'm glad I finally did. It's important that, as readers of any age, we make sure that we read widely and diversely. I recommend this to everyone!

This is great!! We have a large Hmong and Karen community in our small town and this would be a great book to have in my preschool classroom for students to relate to the characters and for others to be familiar with diversity. It is hard to find many resources for the culture.

The book is about the beautiful relationship shared by a girl and her grandmother. It tells us how we should be satisfied with whatever we have rather than just aspiring for something better.
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The story tells us about a Hmong family striving for making ends meet in America. Though the parents of the girl try their level best, given the fact that their were more members in the family always made it difficult to afford luxuries.
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It is full of life lessons for both young and old. I loved the Beautiful illustrations which made the read even more enjoyable!
The story could have been lengthened a bit more as it felt like it ended too soon!

A young Asian-American girl shares the stories and lessons learned from her immigrant grandmother. She reflects on her grandmother's struggles and comes to appreciate all that she has in her life.

The book is beautifully and richly illustrated. The text is quiet and flowing. It would make a good bedtime book.

It was a short, simple and touching story. It actually reached me and I began to think what would've happened if I got to be with my grandmother a little longer. I like it and a must read.

This beautiful inter-generational story shows the power of family and stories and history. The colorful, flowing illustrations add to the story as the reader reflects on culture and what is most important to each of us. I loved reading about the relationship between Kalia and her grandmother, all families should strive for such mutually respectful bonds within their families. Seeing Kalia grapple with the differences between her culture and family and the culture of the society around her, including the importance placed on traditional norms of beauty could allow for conversation and reflection among readers of all ages.

I can't wait to share this book with the children in my personal and professional life!

This is a gorgeous picture book with a beautiful story about appreciation and love for a grandmother. Khoa Le's artwork is beautiful and the story poignant. I can't recall another book about appreciating and caring for the aging body of a beloved grandparent. This is a book I'll buy my children but also my mother.

Very sweet reminisces of a girl and her relationship with her Hmong grandmother. Definitely midgrade fiction, for all it's a picture book. In my library this would be shelved with "Skinny J Fiction." As such it has a limited audience, but it is a lovely piece nonetheless.

Intergenerational story on respect, love, and knowledge passed down from generation to generation. The art is stunning with it's brilliant colors that don't fail to catch one's attention. Plus it's an #ownvoices story!

When we're young, we're in awe of our grandparents and the experiences & stories they have to tell. As we start growing older, we get side tracked with life and it feels like we're leaving them behind. We forget the messages in the countless stories we heard throughout the years. We don't always realize they have not only found alternatives to issues we face but also learned to find beauty where they once didn't.

The Most Beautiful Thing is absolutely charming and beautiful work. Ideal for reading with children and ready for the classroom shelf.

"The Most Beautiful Thing" is a gem. The story touches on the feelings and experiences of generations of the family, from poverty to the heartwarming meaning of love and how the elders are truly our precious gift. The illustrations are breathtaking. Loved it.

The Most Beautiful Thing by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Khoa Le, is a beautiful thing indeed. Yang tells a story of intergenerational love, respect for grandparents, and enjoying the things that we have and the people that we love even when we might want more. The story is a personal one, based in her own life and relationship with her grandmother, and offers a look into the lives of Hmong refugees, their children, and their grandchildren. Le's illustrations are breathtaking, and she truly breathes extra life into this tender tale with her stunning pictures.

I would definitely recommend this book, especially to older children, and even to adults.

A cute book that is dedicated to relationships. It shows how beauty is not bound to circumstances. Pure things are always beautiful, how much old they could get. Artwork is wonderful and very colourful. I wish font could be bigger. Language is simple for kids to read. A very good book in times when interaction among family members is progressively falling.
A very good kids book.

Dear Kao Klia Yang,
Thank you for an amazing story which showcased everything that I loved about my grandmother. From her rough feet, soft hands, her smile and her stories. This story is not only about a granddaughters love for her grandmother, but a grandmothers love for her granddaughter.

P.S The illustrations are stunning too.

Wonderful art portrays a beautiful story about the sacrifices family makes to have a better life for their kids/grandkids.

This story of a child growing up in her multi-generational family with her grandmother, who was a Hmong refugee, reflects the lives of a few students I've known over the years. I don't know of a lot of books that reflect that experience, so this is certainly a welcome addition to the market. It also gently confronts the issue of growing up with poverty as a part of life. I liked the story and I think the right reader, probably an upper elementary reader or a child with a parent that wants to discuss the book, would appreciate it as well. The illustrations are beautiful and the text is fairly readable. I'll be purchasing it for my library when it's published.