EYES THAT WEAVE THE WORLD'S WONDERS

A young Korean adoptee finds a sense of connection.

The unnamed young narrator reflects on the annual family portrait. Everyone is in “matching clothes and matching shoes and matching laughter.” Yet there’s one distinct feature that doesn’t match: “No one in my family has eyes like mine.” As the protagonist and Mom, a white woman, explore an art museum, the child observes how Mom’s blue eyes are “like ocean waves.” Mom’s gaze makes it clear that the little one is “a masterpiece.” Next, the protagonist goes fishing with Dad, a white man with hazel eyes and brown hair and beard. Amid the idyllic river setting, the two get their lines tangled. Yet Dad’s eyes “tell me it will be okay. Some knots bind us with bonds more visible than blood.” Despite these close familial ties, the child wonders about meeting “someone who has eyes that kiss in the corner and glow like warm tea. Just like mine.” The lyrical narrative follows the child through explorations of fragmented memories from before the protagonist was adopted. The authors briefly touch on the complex feelings and questions of “who,” “what if,” and “why.” Ho’s richly detailed illustrations match the narrative by using warm colors and imagery that blend into one another. Eventually the child weaves together dreams and stories, finding beauty in connections to a birth parent.

A striking adoption tale that opens space for larger questions and feelings.