Cherry Mo’s debut picture book, Home in a Lunchbox, is inspired by her formative memories of moving from Hong Kong to America at the age of 10. In her essay for PW, Mo reflects on the comfort and friendship she found in her school library, and coming full circle as a children’s author and illustrator.
Immigrating from Hong Kong to the United States when I was 10 years old was one of the most memorable and impactful experiences of my childhood. Although I call it “memorable,” at the time it was daunting, confusing, and overwhelming. I had been plopped into a strange place filled with unfamiliar faces that spoke a foreign language.
The city I moved to—Arcadia, Calif.—actually had a large Asian population. While there were many Asian faces, everyone spoke in English. This confused me even more, because growing up in Hong Kong, I had only ever known Asian faces that spoke Chinese. I remember looking around frantically and trying to make sense of everything. There were so many questions running through my mind, but I had no words to express them. I couldn’t understand or communicate with anyone. When the school bell rang for lunchtime, all the kids rushed out of the classroom, and I would have no clue what was going on. I remember trying to get back into the classroom, but the door was locked. During breaks and lunch times, I wandered around the campus, observing my classmates and trying to find my place.
On top of being a newcomer who didn’t speak English, I was very shy, so it was challenging for me to take the initiative to make friends. Although some kids were friendly and tried to talk to me, I often panicked and could only giggle in response to everything said to me. I still remember the looks from the kids’ faces—filled with equal parts amusement and confusion. I became the girl who laughed a lot, a trait that carries over to who I am today. My classmates probably wondered: what was so funny?
As I continued to wander through my unfamiliar new school, I found myself in the school library. I walked down the aisles filled with shelves and shelves of books, and something caught my eye. In the corner of the bookshelf, I saw Chinese characters! There were Chinese books! I was ecstatic. I immediately pulled out a book and sat down on the floor. I finally found something to occupy myself with during breaks and felt so relieved. As I hid myself behind the book, suddenly, I heard: “你會說中文嗎？ (Do you speak Chinese?”) My classmate stood there, looking at me and the Chinese book. I was surprised but flooded with joy. I responded emphatically, “會啊！ (Yes, I do!)”. Finally, I was able to converse with someone. I had felt invisible and clueless for weeks. In that moment, I felt seen.
For the rest of the school year, my classmate and I spent every break and lunch together. When I didn’t understand what was being said, she was right there to translate for me. Once, I got heat stroke at school, and my new friend was able to explain my situation to a teacher so that I could get home safely. She changed everything for me. She allowed a shy, timid girl to find comfort and belonging. From then on, I was able to gradually immerse myself in this new environment, culture, language, and country.
This special friend is one of the inspirations for Home in a Lunchbox. Although the main character Jun doesn’t make her first connection through words, it is the warmth of a friend that transforms the rest of her school experience. This book is mostly wordless, as I hope readers can delve into Jun’s internal journey as she navigates through school without the ability to express herself verbally, and along the way, discover with Jun the power of heart-to-heart connection.
In my school visits as an author and illustrator, I show a spread of Jun walking alone into school, hugging her lunchbox. I ask the students, “Have you ever felt this way before?” Most kids raise their hands, no matter if they are immigrants or not. Doesn’t this show that we are all going through a universal experience? If we have all felt the same way, perhaps we can be the first one to extend that warmth to others, and in so doing, warm our own hearts as well.
It is so meaningful and rewarding to come full circle and become an author-illustrator. I hope this book can be like that library book that helped me make my first friend, the hand that extends kindness to those who need it. Perhaps it will be a conversation starter for those who are at a loss for words.
No matter how big, strange, and foreign the world may seem, I hope that through Jun’s journey, kids may feel embraced and find their sense of home and belonging in Home in a Lunchbox.
Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo. Penguin Workshop, $18.99 June 11 ISBN 978-0-5936-6134-5
