Eyes That Speak to the Stars

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 show more 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. show less

American author Joanna Ho and Vietnamese illustrator Dung Ho, who previously collaborated on the lovely Eyes That Kiss in the Corners return in this second picture-book, once again exploring the beauty of Asian eyes, and the importance of family love and relationships. When a young boy is hurt by a school friend's depiction of him, with two slanted lines as eyes, his father tells him that his eyes "rise to the skies and speak to the stars." Interacting with his father, agong (grandfather) and di-di (younger brother), the boy gains strength and appreciation for his eyes, and for the members of his family.

Having greatly enjoyed Eyes That Kiss in the Corners I picked up Eyes That Speak to the Stars with a great deal of anticipation, and I show more was not disappointed. Although I wouldn't say that Joanna Ho's narrative here was quite as accomplished as in her first book, it was still immensely appealing, with a poetic quality and a warm-hearted tone that was very pleasing. The artwork from Dung Ho, on the other hand, is every bit as beautiful here as in the earlier book, with a lovely color palette, and wonderfully expressive depictions of the characters. I particularly enjoyed the two-page spreads featuring a backdrop of mythological creatures, from the dragon to the goddess Mazu, and the page on which the narrator appears in front of the constellations was just gorgeous. With a heartwarming look at family love and connection, and a reassuring message about the worth of Asian eyes, there's a lot here to appreciate. Recommended to picture-book audiences in need of the message here, as well as to any that enjoy stories celebrating the beauty of human diversity. show less

“Eyes that Speak to the Stars” (Stars) is the companion and sequel to “Eyes that Kiss in the Corners” (Kiss). Its artwork is beautiful, if not outright stunning, while its words are lyrical. Perhaps it has less of a wow factor, given it follows the theme of its predecessor. I initially had some reservations about a ‘boy’ book that focuses on eyes. I know very few east Asian males who had expressed sadness about their eyes. Instead, they tend to lament of their ‘smallness’ or ‘lack of statue’. BUT, in this book, Ho went straight to the one thing that was not specifically said in the last book. “…a person with eyes like two lines stretched across his face…” My goodness, this has got to be my biggest complaint show more when it comes to how east Asian eyes are derogatively (or comically) drawn. It’s an absolute dealbreaker whenever I see it, and I applaud her for not dancing around this very negative representation.

Just like Kiss, Stars uses three generations to tell the tale. The boy, his Baba (aka father), his Agong (aka grandfather), and his Di-Di (aka baby brother).
Baba: “Lift your arms, my son. You’re going to soar above the clouds.”
About Agong: “…when I hug him good night, he cups my face in his hands and looks at me like I am the only answer that matters.”
About Di-Di: ”… He looks at me like I’m the world, but he is the sun, filling my days with light.”

Same as Kiss, the best lines are about himself. The words are uplifting, inspiring, and empowering. I applaud both the art and the words in this magnificent follow-up. Wait till you see the two pages spread on San Francisco, and ditto for the stars that form the golden dragon. They are gorgeous!

“My eyes shine like sunlit rays
that break through dark and doubt.
They lift their sights
on paths of flight
that soar above the clouds.
My eyes gaze into space
and glimpse trails of light
inviting me into impossibilities.

The comets and constellations
show me their secrets because
I am the emperor
of my own destiny.
I read a brighter future
in the stars
and will fight to make it reality.” show less

Words cannot describe the beauty of both the message and the illustrations of this book. When a young boy is hurt/harmed by nasty comments of school mates regarding the shape of his eyes that are not "round," he seeks guidance from his loving father who, upon arriving at home, stood with him in front of a mirror and said "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."

As they go outside and his father runs with him on his shoulders telling his that he will soar above the clouds if he lifts his arms. And, as they fly while holding kites that rise upward, they are joined by his grandfather, "Agong." The author notes that he show more feels his Agong's eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars. It is on this particular page that the illustrations are so very "eye catchingly" beautiful while expressing that the voices of those who have gone on before them are whispering.

His baby brother joins the circle of love, and his eyes are just like his eyes, and those of his father, and his Agong. The paes that follow are so stunningly beautiful that they are breathtaking.

This is a book of solidarity, and of love that reaches through the ages. I found this in my local library. Now, I will purchase a copy for my large, ever-expanding collection of illustrated books.

I find such joy in this genre! These books are a wonderful way for artists to exhibit their incredible talent!

Another five-star read! show less

LibraryThing Review:

Words cannot describe the beauty of both the message and the illustrations of this book. When a young boy is hurt/harmed by nasty comments of school mates regarding the shape of his eyes that are not "round," he seeks guidance from his loving father who, upon arriving at home, stood with him in front of a mirror and said "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."

As they go outside and his father runs with him on his shoulders telling his that he will soar above the clouds if he lifts his arms. And, as they fly while holding kites that rise upward, they are joined by his grandfather, "Agong." The show more author notes that he feels his Agong's eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars. It is on this particular page that the illustrations are so very "eye catchingly" beautiful while expressing that the voices of those who have gone on before them are whispering.

His baby brother joins the circle of love, and his eyes are just like his eyes, and those of his father, and his Agong. The paes that follow are so stunningly beautiful that they are breathtaking.

This is a book of solidarity, and of love that reaches through the ages. I found this in my local library. Now, I will purchase a copy for my large, ever-expanding collection of illustrated books.

I find such joy in this genre! These books are a wonderful way for artists to exhibit their incredible talent! show less

A boy finds that his eyes are like those of the other men and boys of his family, with beautifully lyrical text that abounds with celestial imagery.

This book is a good starting read and also speak more about Asian American, children that feel like they look different from other children. He asked his dad why the kid pointed to the drawing with his eyes being a line but it doesn't look like that at all. His dad and his grandpa describe that his eyes bring so much wisdom, joy, and history. Overall, this book is really good and it can feel relatable to some demographic.