Home in a Lunchbox
by Cherry Mo; illus. by the author
Primary    Penguin Workshop    40 pp.
6/24    9780593661345    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593753439    $10.99

Having recently emigrated from Hong Kong to America, young Jun starts school with a few English words and phrases (e.g., hello, thank you, I don’t know, toilet) written on her palm. Nevertheless, she faces misunderstandings and struggles to comprehend a new language and culture. At the bus stop, unable to understand a question about her name, she responds with, “Th…ank you.” Filling out a “Let’s Get to Know You” worksheet in class, she answers each question, “I don’t know.” Despite her loneliness, Jun finds solace in her lunchbox, which is filled with her favorite Chinese foods, including bao, dumplings, and bok choy. After a difficult first four days for Jun, classmate Rose makes a friendly overture at lunch on Friday, which leads to sharing food with a small group of kids. Jun invites her new friends to her home, symbolizing the beginning of new connections. With its spare text (most of which is speech-bubble dialogue), the story is primarily conveyed through Mo’s sensitively drawn, sometimes paneled illustrations, which vividly depict Jun’s emotional state. Warm colors represent her cherished memories of home and the eventual feeling of belonging; cool tones mirror her initial fear and anxiety. This debut picture book captures an immigrant experience, highlighting the impact of small gestures of kindness and celebrating the unifying power of food across cultures and languages. A glossary of written and conversational Cantonese phrases in the story and a labeled illustration of Jun’s lunchbox contents are helpfully appended.

From the July/August 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.