What’s That?
Written by Karen Chan
Illustrated by Basia Tran
Published by Gloo Books
What’s That? transforms the embarrassing lunch box moment into an empowering experience about curiosity and friendship.
Jax loves the food his family cooks. But when his grandmother packs his favorite Chinese dishes for his first day of school, Jax discovers his lunch looks very different from what the rest of his classmates are eating. Embarrassed to eat his food, he finds himself sitting alone. When Meena sits next to him, the two strike an unexpected friendship over their lunches, sharing a mutual joy of time spent in the kitchen, a coincidental similarity between their respective Chinese and Indian lunches, and the delicious meals they eat with their families.
At the end of the book is a food glossary with descriptions of the dishes highlighted in the book and how to pronounce them.
Primary ISBN: 9781737240402
Publication Date: November 2021
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book , Age 03 or older
Community Represented: Chinese/Chinese American, Indian/Indian American
Themes: Cross-Group Friendship, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Family, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Food, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Friendship, Discrimination: Microaggression, Family Relationship: Grandparents, Family Relationship: Parents, Identity: Multilingual, Multilingual: Hindi Featured Words, Multilingual: Mandarin Featured Words, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Welcoming by Individual
Setting: United States
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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Engagement Materials:
Book Trailer – What’s That?
Source: Gloo Books
Discover What’s That? with Karen Chan and Basia Tran | Read & Draw Along
Source: Crayola Learning