Kai Cheng ThomRecensioni

4.75 stars rounded up for a few really standout pieces. Definitely a highlight heavy read. The flow and imagery were visceral. A little cheese ball with some of the actions but it never took away from the overall feel. And maybe Im just a bit of a cynic on that.

As with [b:Perfectly Norman|35892618|Perfectly Norman|Tom Percival|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501588490s/35892618.jpg|57411252], this picture book aims to comfort young children who fear being bullied for being different. I think it succeeds.

I'm a big fan of any beautifully illustrated book that encourages self-acceptance and inclusion. Also books that celebrate a parent's unconditional love for their child.

CW: A lot, my memory is shocking, but Self Harm, Graphic Violence, Transphobia, Police Brutality

I might have to give up my conviction that perfection doesn't exist.

I just consumed the audiobook in one sitting and was just left sobbing at the beauty of the journey, the bravery of the author, and simply just how magical and viscerally meaningful reading this was, especially today.

I couldn't put it down. I felt every emotion I would ever want sheiks reading. I am truly in awe.

If Hollywood and beyond lost their minds for Sarah by JT LeRoy (Laura Albert), the world and all existence need to give Kai Cheng Thom her fucking flowers. (I actually think Sarah is a phenomenal novel, despite all the everything around it. I also have empathy for Albert, but the lack of accountability isn't OK).

I'm just stunned. I wish I could be more articulate.

The magic realism moments are wonderful and strange. There is such heart and truth in the parts that happened and those that didn't. The specifics don't matter. The darkness and visceral violence are brutal. The darkness and might throughout the book are equally explored and held up for inspection.

I really need to read everything else by this author and then read this again because this was everything I needed. Bloody brilliant!

The genre bending and unreliable narrator were intriguing and came together very well. The main character's struggles with her rage and violence were tragic and understandable. There was a lot packed into a short page count, but I still found it all satisfying and not rushed.½

A very weird book. Good, but weird. I honestly don't know what more to say about it. Took me some time to get into it but read the second half in one sitting.

2019. This book delivered what I want in a trans femme revenge fantasy; a girl gang killing scumbag men, a trans femme goddess/ancestor watching over them, a ghost, a potential love story, and a strong heroine who rejected the easy answer of the love story to seek further adventures. Somehow I didn’t love it as much as I felt I should have. It felt glib and surface-y. It didn’t reach a satisfying emotional depth somehow. But still a good read.½

audio fiction/trans pride (~4 hrs)

cw/tw: self cutting, references to drug use and childhood abuse, sexual situations, scary police interactions

part poetry, part trans-positive fairytales (no waiting around for gender-affirming things to happen to THESE girls), part disjointed narrative of a trans girl leaving home and finding a new trans family (temporarily at least). I liked the part where she beats the bro up with her martial arts skills.

Featured in a blog post at https://booksbeyondbinaries.blog/2019/09/16/fall-preview-empire-of-wild/

Included in a blog post and resource list at https://booksbeyondbinaries.blog/2019/06/10/non-fiction-about-gender-and-trans-e...

Included in a blog post and resource list at https://booksbeyondbinaries.blog/2019/06/10/non-fiction-about-gender-and-trans-e...

I completely agree with the many reviews that point out the important stories that are being told with this novel and I loved the mixing of narrative genres, with letters and poetry being tossed in with the prose.
However, I'm struggling with the fairy tale magical realism of this fictionalized memoir. I kept trying to figure out real-world correlations, mainly geographical and the mermaid (was it a dolphin, a dead body, or just a metaphor?), to the story. I know that it is NOT the point of this book, but at any lagging point, my mind started to try to puzzle it out. The book also didn't stick with me after I put it down or after I finished it.

Not your "cliche" trans memoir...jam packed with fantastical realism to touch the soul and broaden the mind. Narrator was decent.

A child is born one night to a mother in a little blue house on a hill. This child is neither a boy nor a girl, but can change into any shape they can imagine! The only problem is they can’t decide what to be. "From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea" is an exploration of gender, love, and learning to be yourself.

This is a fantastic book for children who feel like they don't quite “fit in,” whether or not they identify as gender fluid. It is ALSO a fantastic book for children who do feel like they fit within the binary but may know someone who doesn’t. "From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea" does an incredible job of celebrating the beauty of being yourself!

I loved the inclusion of the fantastical elements.

I was ambivalent about a rating on this one. A 4-star book usually grabs and holds me more than this thin book really did. But a 3 would feel stingy. The fantastical elements in this one were sort of dazzling and fun, but of course the general subject matter -- how hard it is to make your way in the world as a trans person -- wasn't so fun. I enjoyed the book but didn't find it deeply, deeply satisfying. I can imagine though that a trans reader would find it affirming and personal in a way that my experience of the world doesn't really allow me to. I'm glad I read it. I liked it more than a little. I didn't love it to pieces.

I really loved reading this book. It has just the right amount of twee and sparkle, while still being really really true and real.

This book is about a child named Miu Lan who was born when both the sun and the moon were in the sky, so the child could not decide what to be. Miu Lan's mother loved and supported them nonetheless. Every night Miu Lan's mother would sing them a song when tucking them into bed which made Miu Lan feel loved. Miu Lan grew up to be a strange and magical child who always changed into whatever Miu Lan wanted to change into. When it finally came time for Miu Lan to go to school, they were so excited that they grew a tail of peacock feathers and a coat of tiger stripes. However, when Miu Lan got to school, all of the children were either boys or girls, questioned Miu Lan of what they were, and didn't invite Miu Lan to play. Later that night, Miu Lan's mother sang to them and Miu Lan felt loved, but also worried. The next day Miu Lan wore a turtle shell and porcupine spines so no one would poke or pull Miu Lan, but the children still wouldn't play with them. That night Miu Lan's mother sang to them before bed again and Miu Lan felt loved, but also sad. The next day Miu Lan tried to be like the other children and didn't wear any feathers, sparkles, scales, etc. Miu Lan was invited to play baseball with the boys and nobody made fun of them! But, when Miu Lan played hopscotch with the girls, a girl called Miu Lan out for playing hopscotch because "boys don't play hopscotch." Then all the children started to question Miu Lan asking Miu Lan what they're supposed to be. This upset Miu Lan because he didn't know. When Miu Lan's mother asked how school was, Miu Lan told her everything. Miu Lan's mother comforted Miu Lan and Miu Lan felt loved. The next day Miu Lan was just himself and the children finally accepted him.

Miu Lan would be considered a dynamic character because Miu Lan went through changes throughout the story. In the beginning, Miu Lan was confident in who they were. However, when Miu Lan began school and the children treated Miu Lan differently due to Miu Lan's differences, they became less and less confident in who they were. At one point, Miu Lan even tried to become more like the other children in order to fit in. However, in the ending Miu Lan gained their confidence back and the children finally accepted Miu Lan because Miu Lan was no longer seeking their approval.

This story is such a sweet and symbolic story for the LGBTQ+ community. I didn't realize that this story was symbolizing non-conforming gender identities until I noticed that Miu Lan was never referenced as she or he, but as they instead. I think this is a great story, especially in today's society with the increasing number of children that are choosing to neither identify as he or she. This is a story that should definitely be read in classrooms today in order to teach children to accept those that are different, instead of teasing them due to differences.

The meaning and message behind this book is very deep. The book acknowledges and accepts non-conforming gender identities; I say this because the main character in the book is gender neutral. In the beginning of the book it reads "so, the baby couldn't decide what to be. boy or girl? bird or fish?" At first I did not realize what the book was trying to portray, until I read further into the book and the author kept referring to the main character as "they" instead of he or she. The main character has troubles in school because no one likes him/her because "they" were different than the other students. The main characters mother was the one who kept "they" going; her love was unconditional and she told "they" to be who ever she wanted. The students then realize "they" is a really great person no matter who he/she is. The book gives a message to be whoever you want to be, anything is possible if you put your mind to it. It also sends a message to children to be nice and kind to people, there is no reason to make fun of someone because they seem different. In the end, that person could be a very nice friend just as the children in the book noticed about "they."

This was a different book. A child was born into a blue house and they could be whatever they imagined. Their mother always tucked them into bed and sang them a song about expressing who they were. When the child went to school and looked different from the other children they were scared and not very nice. This made the child sad until they went to school dressed as a little boy and the entire class started questioning them as to who they were. The child did not even know. They broke down to their mom that night at bed time and the mother told them that they were different from everyone else and that was OKAY! So the next day they got up confidently put on sparkles, feathers, fur, scales, and leaves and went to school. People finally accepted them and they made friends because they were comfortable in their own skin now.

What an amazing book! Kids need to hear this book and know that it is okay for someone to be "different" or for them to feel that way themselves. You don't have to be one thing in life, you can be whatever you want to be. This book would be a huge help to a child who is dealing with identity issues and are not sure what they identify as or what pronoun they should be addressed by. But, this book is also important for all students, and adults, to know that when they judge someone who isn't like them, it can have detrimental effects on their emotions.

This is a really great book for introducing the concept of gender fluidity and breaking the gender binary. The story is about a child who is happy to be themselves then feels like they have to choose. I prefer this book over many other books out there at the moment, skip the popular mermaid book and share this one with kids in your life.

"From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea," written by Kai Cheng Thom and illustrated by Wai-yant Li and Kai Yun Ching, is about a child named Miu Lan who can change into many animals at once. When the child attends school, the other students are confused by Miu Lan's appearance and by the fact that they aren't a girl or a boy. Eventually, Miu Lan's powers win the other children over, and they all accept Miu Lan for who they are.
This book would be great for introducing students to the concept of identifying as a gender outside of the gender binary, a concept that can be confusing to some.½

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