The book was generally well-received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal. Reception Įyes That Kiss in the Corners is a New York Times and IndieBound best seller.

A sequel titled Eyes That Speak to the Stars was published on February 15, 2022. Ho previously received a rejection every so often while her agent advised Ho to continue her positivity. Wong said that the book is for every audience with what it means to be beautiful and that 'it was one of the books I acquired the quickest, from it hitting my inbox to bringing it to acquisition and making an offer'. Ho said, 'Ultimately, this isn’t just a story about physical appearances, but a story of how appearances are passed down and what they can represent: family, history, culture, relationships, love.' The book's editor Clarissa Wong said that she wished she had the book when she was a child and that she did not accept her eyes until she was in her early 20s. She is a vice principal at a high school. Ho was pregnant with a girl and had a two-year-old son while she was working on the first draft. NPD BookScan reported in February 2021 that more than 21,000 copies have been sold in print. After being published in January 2021, 8,000 print copies were sold during its first week of release. Ho edited and revised the book for years and Dung Ho of HarperCollins completed the illustrations. She wanted to write it as a picture book that showed not just physical beauty in relation to East Asian eyes, but the power those of East Asian heritage have to makes changes in the world. Ho aimed to publish a picture book that showed the other side of beauty not shown in western media which tends to focus on a narrow view of beauty.

Eyes that kiss corners