What’s a little boy rat supposed to do to be tough? Plus, they worry about what their dad will say when he finds out how good they’ve been. Sadly, every attempt Louie and Ralphie make at doing mean things somehow turns nice. However, it turns out that Louie and Ralphie have just done a good deed instead of a bad one: Chad Badgerton had taken that hat from little Tiny Crawley, a mouse, so when Tiny reclaims it, they are celebrated for goodness rather than toughness. Chad Badgerton is a big badger, so taking that hat from him proves that Louie and Ralphie are just as tough as they want to be. Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to be just like their single dad, Big Lou: tough! They know that “tough” means doing mean things to other animals, like stealing Chad Badgerton’s hat.

Two little rats decide to show the world how tough they are, with unpredictable results. This tale of self-acceptance and respect for one’s roots is breathtaking. When the narrator comes to describe her own eyes and acknowledges the power they hold, she is posed against swirling patterns, figures, and swaths of breathtaking landscapes from Chinese culture. Illustrator Ho’s textured cartoons and clever use of light and shadow exude warmth and whimsy that match the evocative text. Mei-Mei’s eyes are filled with hope and with admiration for her sister. Amah’s eyes are like those of the narrator’s little sister. Here, illustrator Ho’s spreads bloom with references to Chinese stories and landscapes. While she notes that her grandmother’s eyes “don’t work like they used to,” they are able to see “all the way into my heart” and tell her stories.

In those moments when she’s all mine.” Mama’s eyes, the girl observes, take after Amah’s. Mama’s “eyes sparkl like starlight,” telling the narrator, “I’m a miracle. She “has eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea.” Author Ho’s lyrical narrative goes on to reveal how the girl’s eyes are like those of other women and girls in her family, expounding on how each pair of eyes looks and what they convey. In this circular tale, the unnamed narrator observes that some peers have “eyes like sapphire lagoons / with lashes like lace trim on ballgowns,” but her eyes are different. A young Chinese American girl sees more than the shape of her eyes.

Book eyes that kiss in the corners