Kao Kalia Yang & Jiemei Lin
The Rock in My Throat
At first, no one noticed when I stopped talking at school.
In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school.
Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day. Although the narrative is somber, it is also infused with moments of beauty, love, and hope.
This is a story for anyone who has ever struggled to find their voice.
Carolrhoda Books
Non-fiction Picture Book
Age 5+
32 pp
hc | 254 x 280 mm
Publication: March 2024
Author: Kao Kalia Yang
Illustrator: Jiemei Lin
All rights available, excl. Chinese (simpl. & compl.), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish
- Look inside
- Book trailer
- Based on a true story
- Beautifully illustrated narrative non-fiction
Awards
- Minnesota Book Award Winner, 2025
- Notable Award Booklist Editor's Choice, Winner, 2024
- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Award, Winner, 2024
- Martin Luther King Jr. "Living the Dream" Book Award Contender, Long-listed, 2025
- Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Picture Book Honor, Commended, 2025
- Star of the North Picture Book Award Nominee, Nominated, 2025
- Heartland Booksellers Award Finalist, Short-listed, 2024
“Yang’s poetic prose sings in perfect unison with Lin’s gorgeously textured illustrations, rendered in earthy tones … A powerful window into the perspective of a young immigrant.” – Kirkus Reviews, 29 December 2023
“A heartfelt story that teaches children about diversity and reflects difficulties with being different, understood, and accepted.” – starred, Booklist, 19 January 2024
“Yang traces a Hmong-speaking child’s experience of selective mutism … Lin’s digital illustrations employ scale and perspective to smart effect.” – Publishers Weekly, 22 January 2024
“Tenderly told in first person, Yang’s lyrical autobiographical picture book depicts her childhood struggle with selective mutism. Her descriptions of how selective mutism presents at school are vivid and authentic … Lin’s earth tones and muted colors reflect Kalia’s affinity with the natural world.” – The Horn Book Magazine, 1 March 2024
“A nature motif runs throughout the scenes, anchoring the girl in a world that requires no language, just the songs of birds and movement of growth. This is a gorgeous and deeply empathetic look at the refugee experience and what it means to feel truly alone in the world.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 1 March 2024
By the same author and illustrator