Caged by Kao Kalia Yang (review)

Reviewed by: Caged by Kao Kalia Yang Kate Quealy-Gainer Yang, Kao Kalia Caged; illus. by Khou Vue. Kokila/Penguin, 2024 40p Trade ed. ISBN 9781984816368 18. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781984816375 10. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 3-5 "I live in a cage but I don't know it, " begins our young narrator, who goes on to detail her life in a refugee camp. She knows enough to know that it isn't normal for one's home to be surrounded by barbed wire or guarded by armed men, but she finds joy with her cousins, pretending to have wings to fly away and thinking of all the fun things they will do in the future. Those hopes, however, don't totally End Page 340 soothe traumatic memories of war, hungry bellies, and endless waiting. Even when she and her family get the good news that their papers have been processed, she must leave behind her beloved cousin and aunt. The opening spread is just as startling as the girl's opening quote, with her cheerfully collecting flowers under a peaceful blue sky behind a fence of jagged barbed wire. The juxtaposition between her innocence and her tragic reality plays out in the digital illustrations, with some kids laughing and playing while others look longingly past the camp boundaries, and the girl and her playmates' imaginings of the world outside are intruded on by angry, resigned adults. The scene in which the outline of the guards and their flickering cigarettes blend into an inky, quiet landscape is haunting, evoking a deep sense of loneliness and barely suppressed despair that is only somewhat lightened by the soaring, golden birds that fly through most scenes. The text-heavy narrative makes the target audience here a little vague, but the hopeful ending and compelling author's note make this a valuable resource for a unit or lesson on refugees and immigration. End Page 341 Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois