Everyone Loves Lunchtime but Zia

Every day, Zia dreads lunchtime at school.  She loves the Cantonese food that her parents make at home, but in the school cafeteria, her favorite homemade dishes feel out of place surrounded by everyone else’s sandwiches, fruit, and cheese and crackers.  Zia’s parents see her frustration and come up with a brilliant plan — they’ll make her a different dish every day, each bearing a special meaning.  At first, Zia approaches her special lunches with some hesitation, but each day as she eats more and more of each dish, wonderful things start to happen.  Could it be that eating the special dishes bring their meanings to life?  Zia might be in for the most magical week ever!  A beautifully heartwarming and delicious celebration of Cantonese food, family and embracing who we are.

Everyone Loves Lunchtime but Zia was written by Jenny Liao, illustrated by Dream Chen and published by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Nell Plants a Tree

A pecan tree stands tall, houses nests with tiny baby birds and is a place for races and so many kinds of merriment.  It provides shade and pecans for warm pie baking in the oven that is so sweet to smell and so hard to wait for!  But before all of that, the tree was a seed that Grandma Nell found, planted and nurtured.  A heartwarming story of family legacy, gifts passed down from one generation to another, and majestic trees and their beautiful impact on community.

Nell Plants a Tree was written by Anne Wynter, illustrated by Daniel Miyares and published by Balzer + Bray.

Woven of the World

Happy #bookbirthday to this absolutely lovely and lyrical celebration of the art, history, cultures and traditions of weaving.  Rich with metaphors about the ways people are connected, there are beautiful and resonant insights to unravel with each read.

Woven of the World was written by Katey Howes, illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova and published by Chronicle Books.

Dark on Light

Smooth stones, crisp air and a rosy horizon beckon children outside to explore at twilight.  They wander amongst the dark, light, silent and still sky, flora and fauna of a nearby forest, and revel in wonders and contrasts that can only be revealed during dusk, which later unfolds into an inky evening.  A beautiful, poetic meditation on this magical time of day.

Dark on Light was written by Dianne White, illustrated by Felicita Sala and published by Beach Lane Books.