EVERYONE LOVES LUNCHTIME BUT ZIA

Zia loves her family’s Cantonese dishes at home, but school is a different story.

When her classmates make fun of the sweet, sour, crispy, and slippery lunches Zia brings from home, she asks her parents to pack her sandwiches instead. But they suggest a special menu for the week, where each lunch will have a special meaning and cultural significance. On Monday, Zia gets tong yun, which represent togetherness. She doesn’t eat them, and no one sits with her at lunch. On Tuesday, she can’t resist taking a bite of cha siu bao, which represent treasure. Then the school librarian appears, letting her know that the book she was waiting for is here. A treasure! Each day, when she eats her special lunch, something wonderful related to the food in question happens, including making a new friend to share her cheung fun (meaning: heartwarming) with on Thursday. By Friday, she brings some of everything to share with her classmates, who seem to have all had a sudden change of heart. Chen’s colorful colored pencil and digital artwork is delightful, accentuating the expressive features of Zia and her diverse classmates and making the Cantonese dishes mouthwateringly appealing. Picture books that grapple with feeling embarrassed at lunchtime are plentiful, but this is an excellent vehicle for introducing some essential dishes and Chinese culture in a new way. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A delicious take on a familiar trope.