Eyes that speak to the stars

The team that created Eyes That Kiss in the Corners (2021)--an homage to the family traditions passed down through Asian women--here offer a version for boys. When a young Asian boy sees his eyes depicted as two lines in a friend's drawing, he feels hurt and confides in his father. That's the launching point for an outpouring of affirmative poetry about the child's eyes and the tale they tell about him. That tale focuses on the boy's relationships with his father, grandfather, and little brother, as well as the broader culture shared among them. Fans of the first book will recognize the vivid and grand illustrations, from starry dragons to deities, juxtaposed with everyday scenes like playing chess with Agong (grandpa) or waking up Di-Di (baby brother). By the end, the boy has transformed into a fighter who owns his story amid the refrain, "eyes that rise to skies and speak to the stars." The last pages of this uplifting read show the boy releasing a floating lantern into the sky to join thousands of others.

K-Gr 4--Ho's companion book to Eyes That Kiss in the Corners addresses the male side of the family after an upsetting incident leaves the narrator, whose name we never learn, feeling down. On a drawing of "My Friends," another boy has shown all of them with round eyes, except for the narrator's. His are two straight lines. Instead of hugging his father after school, the boy explains his sadness over the drawing, and is quickly consoled. "Your eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars. The comets and constellations show you their secrets, and your eyes can foresee the future. Just like mine." The boy finds similar features in his agong's eyes, and in baby Di-Di's, too, "eyes that shine like runaway lights." As reassuring as the first book, willing to reach to the constellations as well as back through time to show what these eyes have seen, this entry not only complements the original, but extends the conversation beyond history and into a future of possibilities. The illustrations depict cultural icons, dragons, kites, temples, and structures that give the boy a sparkle in his eyes and make his life a celebration. VERDICT Together these books form a brilliant treatise to love of self and heritage, and belong on every shelf.--Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal

A young Chinese American boy discovers himself, his roots, and his potential. In this poetic celebration of body diversity, family, and Chinese culture, the author picks up on themes introduced in her New York Times bestselling picture book, Eyes That Kiss in the Corners (2021). While the previous title centered female family members, this offering focuses on three generations of male kindred. After a classmate draws an offensive and hurtful picture depicting the boy with slits for eyes, he finds comfort in his father's affirming words: "Your eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars. / The comets and constellations / show you their secrets, and your eyes can / foresee the future. / Just like mine." The boy narrates that his father's eyes "shine like runway lights" and are just like the eyes of his grandfather, who "holds the wisdom of generations." He describes how his little brother, Di Di, has eyes just like the male family members who came before him. By finding a mirror in the loved ones whom he so adores and admires, the narrator begins to see that his eyes are powerful and visionary: "My eyes shine like sunlight rays / that break through dark and doubt." The idea of "looking up" is a repeated textual and visual motif--sophisticated digital illustrations full of flowing lines imply upward movement, and scenes from the grandfather's memories and his retellings of Chinese tales, as well as scenes of the family spending time together, feature aerial objects like comets and Chinese kites and sky lanterns. The circular narration emphasizes the reassuring similarities between blood relatives and the continuity of family tradition. A beautifully validating book that builds on the necessary work of its predecessor. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The team that created Eyes That Kiss in the Corners (2021)—an homage to the family traditions passed down through Asian women—here offer a version for boys. When a young Asian boy sees his eyes depicted as two lines in a friend's drawing, he feels hurt and confides in his father. That's the launching point for an outpouring of affirmative poetry about the child's eyes and the tale they tell about him. That tale focuses on the boy's relationships with his father, grandfather, and little brother, as well as the broader culture shared among them. Fans of the first book will recognize the vivid and grand illustrations, from starry dragons to deities, juxtaposed with everyday scenes like playing chess with Agong (grandpa) or waking up Di-Di (baby brother). By the end, the boy has transformed into a fighter who owns his story amid the refrain, eyes that rise to skies and speak to the stars. The last pages of this uplifting read show the boy releasing a floating lantern into the sky to join thousands of others. Preschool-Grade 1. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

K-Gr 4—Ho's companion book to Eyes That Kiss in the Corners addresses the male side of the family after an upsetting incident leaves the narrator, whose name we never learn, feeling down. On a drawing of "My Friends," another boy has shown all of them with round eyes, except for the narrator's. His are two straight lines. Instead of hugging his father after school, the boy explains his sadness over the drawing, and is quickly consoled. "Your eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars. The comets and constellations show you their secrets, and your eyes can foresee the future. Just like mine." The boy finds similar features in his agong's eyes, and in baby Di-Di's, too, "eyes that shine like runaway lights." As reassuring as the first book, willing to reach to the constellations as well as back through time to show what these eyes have seen, this entry not only complements the original, but extends the conversation beyond history and into a future of possibilities. The illustrations depict cultural icons, dragons, kites, temples, and structures that give the boy a sparkle in his eyes and make his life a celebration. VERDICT Together these books form a brilliant treatise to love of self and heritage, and belong on every shelf.—Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal