Home in a Lunchbox

April 1, 2024
When a young Chinese girl moves to a country where she doesn't speak the language, her lunchbox holds all the comforts of home--and offers an opportunity for friendship. The story begins in the book's endpapers as the cityscape of Hong Kong on the left blends cleverly into a suburban American street on the right. Jun happily sets off for school. She knows just a handful of English phrases (she's scrawled several words and their Cantonese translations onto her hand), and her big smile disappears as the day progresses, the colors fading from her world as she struggles to communicate. But when she opens her lunchbox in the cafeteria, she finds herself surrounded by vibrantly depicted memories, and her smile returns. Each school day's loneliness is punctuated by the joy of lunchtime, and by the following week, a few classmates, and Jun herself, become brave enough to use food as an opening for friendship. Mo relies on both full-page illustrations and comiclike panels; apart from minimal dialogue presented in speech bubbles, it's a mostly wordless tale. Similar in theme and structure to Young Vo's Gibberish (2022), the narrative charts its protagonist's emotional state through color, composition, body language, and visual detail. Round-faced, endearing Jun is utterly expressive; her sadness upon returning home each day is especially palpable. Jun's community is a diverse one. A touching immigrant story that hits the heart--and stomach. (glossary, information on Chinese foods) (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from May 20, 2024
Jun, whom end papers reveal has recently moved from
Hong Kong to an American suburb, stands at a bus stop one Monday, the translations of three words scrawled on one palm. Jun worries about responding to a peer’s greeting, and as a week of typical school days ensues, Jun moves through a grayed-out world in which others’ conversations are portrayed in scribbles. Memories of home,
and images of lunch box contents, are rendered in elegant full-color illustrations alongside swirling hearts and emanata, suggesting feelings of comfort and love. And the following Monday, the lunch box provides a language-barrier-bridging pathway to friendship.
In an exceptional debut, Mo deploys digital illustrations that expertly use selective coloring to depict an experience of finding common ground. A glossary of Cantonese words and diagram of Jun’s lunch box concludes. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8.

July 1, 2024
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. Weileen Wang

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from June 14, 2024

PreS-Gr 2-In a moving picture book debut, a young Cantonese immigrant finds a way to make friends in her new home through the power of food. The opening illustrations show a bright Asian cityscape with fireworks illuminating the sky fading into an American suburban neighborhood with nondescript houses and a moving van on the street. Borrowing from graphic novels, panel illustrations with speech bubbles adeptly show Jun's attempts at speaking to classmates. Full-page illustrations with muted colors coupled with excellent and detailed facial expressions convey Jun's homesickness contrasted with bright illustrations to show the other kids laughing and happy while she struggles. When she opens her lunchbox and thinks about her old home, colorful fireworks appear, and she is seen looking overjoyed sharing food with friends and family in her old life. After a few days, three kids join her table; she shares her food and they share theirs, including pizza and hamburgers. The final spread shows her walking home with her new friends and her mom preparing a spread of Asian food and tea for them to enjoy. Back matter asks relevant questions in English and both Hangul and spoken Cantonese. VERDICT Inspired by Mo's move from Hong Kong to the United States at the age of 10, this remarkable story about finding comfort in a new home by bringing along familiar traditions is a must-purchase for picture book collections and will resonate with any child who has struggled to fit in.-Carrie Voliva

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 9, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 Debut author Cherry Mo combines minimal text with stunning illustrations in this heartfelt story about an immigrant child's experience. Jun recently immigrated to a U.S. suburb from Hong Kong. The only words she knows on her first day of school are hello, thank you, and I don't know, which are written on her hand with Cantonese translations. Mo's expressive, graphic novel-like panel illustrations capture Jun's lost, lonely feelings in gray scale. At lunchtime, Jun opens her lunchbox to find familiar Chinese dishes like bao, bok choy, chow mein, and more, the pages bursting with color and joy as Jun is transported to the comfort and warmth of her culture, family, and friends. Jun continues to struggle to communicate and make friends at school, which is powerfully reflected in the sparse text and limited dialogue. One day, Jun's classmates notice her lunch; they exchange food, names, and warm smiles. Back matter includes a glossary of Cantonese words and details on Jun's lunches. A touching and resonant story with universal themes of wanting to belong and finding common ground.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
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.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)