TOMATOES IN MY LUNCHBOX

A young immigrant doesn’t recognize their own name when students and teachers say it aloud; it’s like “it doesn’t fit in their mouths.”

The narrator has come to a new country, and their heart aches for home (neither their name nor their nation of origin is mentioned in the text). They left “the place where [their] name fit” for a world full of Emmas and Olivias and Sophies. Believing life would be easier as an Emma, the narrator tries to be like a classmate, but that doesn’t quite fit either. The tomatoes in their lunchbox don’t help. They bite into them like an apple, spilling seeds all over their shirt. The narrator then remembers advice from their grandmother: “A smile can lighten a heavy load.” A timid smile leads to tentative friendship with one classmate, then another, as slowly the protagonist starts to realize they do belong here. This is a beautifully told and illustrated story that expresses, with sensitivity and inspired use of figurative language, a child’s attempt to fit with the dominant culture—a common experience that will resonate with many readers and inspire empathy in others. Rich, vivid illustrations make superb use of color and convey a sense of movement. The main character is brown-skinned; the classmates are diverse in terms of skin tone. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A poetic book about the power of a smile and what it means to find home.