Lunch from Home / Comida de Casa
Written by Joshua David Stein (Author)
and Niki Russ Federman, Ray Garcia, Preeti Mistry (Contributors), & Ariela Rudy Zaltzman (Translator)
Illustrated by Jing Li
Published by Rise x Penguin Workshop
What happens when a child’s favorite packed lunch is met with disparaging comments at the school lunch table?
In a classroom of sandwiches, four students stand out with their homemade, culturally-specific lunches. But before they can dig in and enjoy their favorite foods, their lunches are spoiled by scrunched noses and disgusted reactions from their sandwich-eating classmates.
Follow each of the four students as they learn to cope with their first “lunch box moments” in this picture book that encourages empathy and inspires all readers to stand up for their food! Inspired by the “lunch box moments” of four acclaimed chefs, Ray Garcia, Preeti Mistry, Mina Park, and Niki Russ Federman, this heartwarming story reminds us all that one’s food is a reflection of self and an authentic celebration of culture.
¿Qué pasa cuando la comida favorita que un niño o una niña trae a la escuela recibe comentarios denigrantes a la hora del almuerzo?
En un salón lleno de sándwiches, cuatro estudiantes se destacan con sus comidas caseras que reflejan las culturas de las que forman parte. Antes de que puedan disfrutar de sus comidas favoritas, estas se arruinan al enfrentar narices arrugadas y reacciones de asco por parte de los compañeros y las compañeras que solo comen sándwiches.
A través de este libro ilustrado que promueve la empatía e inspira a que todos los lectores defiendan su comida, acompaña a cada uno de los cuatro estudiantes mientras aprenden a lidiar con sus primeros “momentos de lonchera”. Tomando inspiración de los “momentos de lonchera” de cuatro aclamados chefs, Ray García, Preeti Mistry, Mina Park y Russ Federman, este relato conmovedor nos recuerda que la comida es un reflejo de la identidad de quien la come y una celebración auténtica de la cultura.
Also available in English only, Lunch from Home.
Primary ISBN: 9798217053612
Publication Date: August 2026
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 03 or older
Community Represented: Indian/Indian American, Korean/Korean American, Mexican/Mexican American, Various
Themes: Cross-Group Friendship, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Food, Discrimination: Cultural, Discrimination: Microaggression, Identity: Exploration, Multilingual: Spanish/English Bilingual, Neighbors & Neighborhoods, Welcoming by School
Setting: United States
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Written with Cultural Advisors
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