Everyone Loves Lunchtime but Zia

Discovering the special meanings behind foods in her packed lunch helps a Chinese American girl to appreciate her heritage in this straightforward handling of one child’s lunch box moment. At home, Zia enjoys her favorite Cantonese dishes, but at school, “Everyone loves lunchtime./ Everyone but Zia.” Fellow students, portrayed with varying skin tones, complain, “What’s that smell? It looks funny! How do you eat this?” Zia begs for sandwiches, but on her birthday week, her parents propose “a different lunch every day, each with a special meaning.” Monday’s dish, “rice dumplings called tong yun... represent togetherness,” but Zia hides the meal, then wonders when nobody sits with her, “Is it because I didn’t eat my tong yun?” Fine-lined colored pencil and digital art by Chen renders characters with rosy cheeks and noses, pairing food close-ups with home and classroom scenes. Via a well-trod story arc, the creators detail the meanings behind specific dishes alongside a child learning to appreciate her heritage. Ages 3–7. (Feb.)