In the magical time between night and day, when both the sun and the
moon are in the sky, a child is born in a little blue house on a
hill. And Miu Lan is not just any child, but one who can change into
any shape they can imagine. The only problem is they can't decide
what to be: A boy or a girl? A bird or a fish? A flower or a shooting
star? At school, though, they must endure inquisitive looks and
difficult questions from the other children, and they have trouble
finding friends who will accept them for who they are. But they find
comfort in the loving arms of their mother, who always offers them
the same loving refrain: "whatever you dream of / i believe you
can be / from the stars in the sky to the fish in the sea."
In this captivating, beautifully imagined picture book about gender,
identity, and the acceptance of the differences between us, Miu Lan
faces many questions about who they are and who they may be. But one
thing's for sure: no matter what this child becomes, their mother
will love them just the same.
Kai Cheng Thom is a writer, performance artist, and psychotherapist
in Toronto. Her first poetry book, A Place Called No
Homeland, was published in 2017.
Kai Yun Ching is a community-based organizer, educator, and
illustrator in Montreal.
Wai-Yant Li is a ceramics artist and illustrator in Montreal.