Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in the Picture Book Category "Father, is all of the world a refugee camp?" Young Kalia has never known life beyond the fences of the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. The Thai camp holds many thousands of Hmong families who fled in the aftermath of the little-known Secret War in Laos that was waged during America's Vietnam War. For Kalia and her cousins, life isn't always easy, but they still find ways to play, racing with chickens and riding a beloved pet dog. Just four years old, Kalia is still figuring out her place in the world. When she asks what is beyond the fence, at first her father has no answers for her. But on the following day, he leads her to the tallest tree in the camp and, secure in her father's arms, Kalia sees the spread of a world beyond. Kao Kalia Yang's sensitive prose and Rachel Wada's evocative illustrations bring to life this tender true story of the love between a father and a daughter. Gr 1-3-In this moving, positive story, a father encourages his young daughter to confront challenges and look beyond borders. In Wada's scenes, no Hmong refugee appears skeletal, but the "Humane Deterrence Policy" of the camp in Thailand, in 1985, includes just three days' worth of food a week. Kids play happily together, ride dogs and chase chickens; the aunties of the extended families embroider calmly; but soldiers appear as splotchy memory-shadows, behind pretty blue-green foreground leaves. Kalia has overheard talk about the war and adults' fears, and asks, "Is all of the world a refugee camp?" Then, from a treetop, her father changes her perspective, assuring her she'll "travel far to find peace." Autobiographically based, like Yang's The Most Beautiful Thing, this book includes an account of the writer's successful subsequent life, pronunciation help, and a map. Wada seamlessly mixes media (graphite, watercolor, digital) in subdued hues into a simple, sensitive child's-eye depiction of the camp and its people, scaled for reading to a group. VERDICT This is a gentle celebration of vision, hope, and determination in a book for all collections.-Patricia D. Lothrop, formerly at St. George's Sch., Newport, RIα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "A stirring, lyrical portrait of hope and intergenerational bonds."―starred, Publishers Weekly "[A] gentle celebration of vision, hope, and determination . . ."―starred, School Library Journal "Beautiful in its simplicity and elegance, with a hopeful and inspiring message, this story will not soon be forgotten."―starred, Booklist "This story of resilience and generational hope is told in an expressive, straightforward narrative style. A visually striking, compelling recollection."―starred, Kirkus Reviews "[A]n homage to four-year-old Kaila, who wished to see the world again and again from the tallest trees, and to her father, who first hoisted her up in the treetops." ―Children's Literature "In sensitive and empowering words, Yang speaks about historical truths and shares her own childhood story with readers."― The Horn Book Magazine 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. Rachel Wada was raised between Japan and Hong Kong and is currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has created illustrations for magazines, newspapers, advertising, and even a mural. Her work has won multiple awards including the Freeman Award for The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden and the 2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for From The Tops Of The Trees . Visually, Rachel's works are characterized by the use of rich colours, textures, and fine details through both digital and traditional mediums.