From the Tops of the Trees by Yang, Kao Kalia

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.

Author: Kao Kalia Yang
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (R)
Published: 10/05/2021
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 11.20h x 9.30w x 0.30d
ISBN: 9781541581302
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.7
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 518363 / From the Tops of the Trees

Award: Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Winner

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2021
Booklist 10/15/2021 pg. 40
School Library Journal 11/01/2021 pg. 64
Publishers Weekly 11/15/2021
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2022 pg. 140
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2022 - Superior,Well Above Average