Review AND Interview of the Day: Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo

Here’s a new trend that may or may not continue on this site. When I like a book, I’ll either interview its creators or review it. But once in a very great while I will do BOTH! Today, I’m not only reviewing Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo, but I’m also talking to Cherry afterwards about what makes this book as singular as it is. Stay tuned:

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Home In a Lunchbox
By Cherry Mo
Penguin Workshop (an imprint of Penguin Random House)
$18.99
ISBN: 9780593661345
Ages 4-7
On shelves now

The lunchroom occupies a very particular location in the pantheon of childhood experiences. It’s one of the few places in an average school day where a child’s individual choices come into sharp relief. Who to sit with. Who to avoid. Whether you’re there or serving lunchtime detention (that one must have been special to my school district since I’ve yet to see it portrayed in a book). And, of course, the food you buy or bring. If you’re on a free lunch program, there’s that aspect to deal with. If you buy school lunch with your own money then there’s the possibility of a bully stealing that money. And, of course, if you bring your own lunch with you, your food can say loads about you, your life, and your choices. Picture books about children’s lunches have been coming out since Rosemary Wells’ Yoko, and probably long before that as well. A librarian could probably make an entire display of lunch-oriented children’s books without breaking a sweat. We see so many that when you see a cover like Home In a Lunchbox you just naturally assume you’ve seen it all before. Kid moving to new country? Check. Lunch that hails from the country they left? Check. But Cherry Mo, debut picture book author/illustrator, isn’t interested in looking at what other picture book creators are doing. Wholly focused on her own character’s story, she takes a well-loved idea and renders it bright, shiny, and new with sheer talent alone. It’s a vibrant take on a tale as old as lunchtime.

Open the book and the first thing you see on the endpapers are two locations. On the left-hand side you see Hong Kong at night, the skyline lit up by fireworks. On the right-hand side we’re in an American suburb (U.S. flag on proud display), with a moving van driving down the street. We meet Jun immediately after. She’s off to her first day of school, a cheat sheet written on her hand. She immediately meets another girl but the language barrier is too tricky to overcome. What follows is frustration and more than a little confusion. Fortunately, once lunchtime rolls around, there’s something familiar waiting for her in that little lunch box. A sea of memories wash over Jun. The days go by and so many things just seem to just go wrong. Then, one day, awash in the happiness that comes with her lunch, the girl who spoke to her on that first day reaches out. Food is exchanged and tried. Introductions are made.

What is the name of a picture book that is essentially wordless without, technically, being wordless? Though language does appear in this book, it’s used far more as a prop than a way of communicating directly with the reader. Cherry Mo’s true talents, then, lie in her ability to tell a story almost entirely through images. Facial expressions, the use of color both to include and to exclude, whether a page consists of multiple scenes, a single scene, or a two-page spread of a single scene, all these choices are made with great skill and clarity. This has the dual advantage of not only placing you in its heroine’s shoes, but also makes the book accessible to those kids who might not have a firm grasp on the English language themselves. You don’t even have to know English or written/conversational Cantonese to comprehend what’s going on. This might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s interesting to notice how many books about language barriers are filled with them themselves.

The book is good. Heck, the book is great. So what tips a book over the edge from one state to another for me? I mean, there are a LOT of perfectly good picture books out in a given year. Great ones are far more difficult to locate (and finding them requires loads of reading). For me, Cherry Mo’s style is significant. It breaks down in two ways. First, I don’t know her background but this art exudes a certain kind of feel you sometimes get from animators-turned-illustrators that’s is hard to define. I think a lot of it has to do with facial expressions. The artist trained in that particular kind of sequential art must spend a lot of time working on the nuances of the human face. Mo’s art isn’t what you’d label as “cartoonish” but it has all the hallmarks of the best kinds of animated films and shows. I should note that some folks automatically associate all things cartoonish with bad, particularly when we talk about picture books. This unfair assessment often doesn’t take into account just how difficult it is to do this kind of art well, and it certainly doesn’t look at the skill needed to transfer from screen to page (many is the animator-turned-illustrator whose books just look like tweaked storyboards and not legitimate stories in their own right).

The other way in which this book caught my attention was a little more flashy. When I read it through the first time, I did notice the subtle ways in which Mo was tweaking her artistic style as the story progressed. The moments that become two-page spreads were always emotional, and I love how the book really knows how to drive an emotional beat home for the reader. So out of curiosity I decided to track these moments. There’s no pattern, but when I write down the emotions in order they pretty much dictate the feel of the book. It goes sad, happy, sad, sad, sad, happy, happy, happy. Sometimes a two-page spread will immediately follow another two-page spread. There’s a happy to sad at the beginning and then a sad to happy near the end. If it’s intentional then it’s exceedingly clever since you unconsciously note this shift in the character’s emotions (and, by extension, your own).

But I’m burying the lede a bit because the real reason this book won me over wasn’t necessarily because of all of Cherry Mo’s clever visual choices (I can’t pretend to have even noticed them initially). It was a single, solitary picture that did it for me, and when I try to describe it here for you I’m going to run up against a bit of a wall. I don’t know that words are equal to what this picture is doing. It’s a two-page spread of Jun eating and happy. More precisely, it’s the moment right before the other kids reach out to her because she just looks so doggone blissful. It was therefore imperative for the artist to make THIS picture the one that sticks. So what she does is make it look almost more like a painting than an illustration in a picture book. I can’t say that it looks realistic, because it doesn’t. It just looks more intentional. It pops off the page. Yes, there are a bunch of cartoon hearts flying around, but honestly you don’t even see them. What you see is Jun’s expression. Her closed eyes. The way the light bounces off of her bangs. And because Mo has shifted her style for just this one single image, you completely understand why the other kids would be curious and reach out. Their reaction doesn’t come out of nowhere because if you saw someone glowing with the inner light of contentment that Jun is sporting here, you’d reach out too!

Now if I’m a nitpicker (and picking nits is kinda my raison d’etre) then I’d say that Jun’s lunchtime acceptance into the group of Rose, Juan, and Daniel jumps a bit too quickly from learning their names to bringing them home for a thousand layer pancake. I could buy the instant friendship but going to someone’s house is (I can tell you as a mother) a whole different ballgame. This, however, is not the book creator’s fault. The fault lies in the fact that Mo pretty much has run out of time by the story’s end. Picture books come in 32, 40, or 48 page bundles (usually). And since Mo wanted to include some incredible backmatter as well (more on that in a sec) she had a choice to make. She could have either gone from the lunch scene to two pages of different becoming-friends sequences and THEN ended with coming home with friends to food, thereby eschewing the backmatter, OR she could have included the backmatter, which is cool but does make that narrative leap a little harder to swallow. If I had been the editor of this book, I would have changed the kids’ clothes between the lunchroom and the arrival in the home, if only to suggest that a little more time has passed. But, of course, I’m a nitpicker.

That backmatter though! I host a children’s picture book podcast with my sister where we read through picture books that are at least 20 years old and decide whether or not they should be deemed “classics” today. One thing that I’ve noticed while recording this podcast is that books of the past loathed backmatter. And honestly, when you look at books imported from around the world, picture books from other countries (even the nonfiction ones) hate it as well. It’s kind of interesting and hard to fathom. I can only assume that it has something to do with the fact that it requires an extra amount of work, thought, and creativity, and that in the case of fictional stories some adults may feel that it distances the reader from the story. For example, what if Blueberries for Sal ended with a recipe for canning your own blueberries rather than that final iconic spread on the endpapers of Sal and her mom canning in the kitchen? I can see it both ways, but honestly, there’s a simple solution to this. You want to read Home in a Lunchbox and retain the magical experience of reading it? Flip past the backmatter and get to the endpapers. There you go. Problem solved.

As for the backmatter itself, it’s split into two different sections. On the left-hand side you have a graph entitled “What are the words on Jun’s hand?” It then provides the English and then the written and conversational Cantonese on the right. “What’s in Jun’s lunchbox?” is on the right, and it was here that I really got excited. Cherry Mo provides an illustration of a typical lunchbox for Jun with each food carefully labeled and described. As a mom who basically just slaps a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, fruit, and cookie in my son’s lunchbox every schoolday, this is the kind of meticulous and delicious fare that puts me to shame. No wonder the kids want what she’s having! There are even descriptions of foods just spotted in Jun’s house throughout the story, illustrated within an inch of their lives. Warning: Do not read on empty stomach.

Yeah, I kinda like the book. And to be clear, this isn’t the last cultural-experiences-attained-in-the-lunchroom book for kids we’re going to see. As I mentioned before, there really aren’t a lot of times when a kid’s culture is casually on display for other children to see. The lunchroom is the perfect staging ground for larger issues. Issues like moving to America from Hong Kong and dealing with cultural, social, language changes. Pairing beautifully with Gibberish by Young Vo and Here I Am by Patti Kim, the book’s a standout and a delicious one to boot. It ain’t preachy. It ain’t smarmy. It’s just plain good.

On shelves now.

And now, and extra special treat! Let’s talk with Cherry Mo herself and learn a little more about this book.

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Betsy Bird: Hi Cherry! What a delight to make your acquaintance. And what a delightful debut as well! Usually I kick off a Q&A with questions about a book specifically but honestly I’m even more interested in you. Tell us a little about yourself! How did you get into making picture books? What’s your story?

Cherry Mo: Thank you so much, Betsy! I am absolutely honored to see HOME IN A LUNCHBOX on your Caldecott predictions list. Thank you so much for including my book. It’s wonderful to connect with you!

It’s been quite a journey to get into making picture books. In pursuing my creative career, I had some bumps on the road, including art blocks and mental hurdles. There was so much more involved, but I’ll keep this brief! In the midst of an art block, my mother asked if I would like to try writing and illustrating children’s books. I kept that in the back of my mind, until I bumped into author-illustrator R. Gregory Christie in his art shop at the mall. That was our first time meeting, and he generously gave me all kinds of resources to get started in the industry. I walked into the store carrying a blank sketchbook with the attempt of overcoming my art block. Things happened in such serendipitous ways. As fate has it, that was the beginning of it all! With research, trial and error, editing and querying, I found my dream agent Emily van Beek, who found a home for my book with the wonderful Elizabeth Lee and the amazing team at Penguin Workshop. It’s really been a dream come true!

Although I had my ups and downs, everything helped me grow into the creative that I am today. During one of the bumps on the road, I learned about Dao, a positive way of life, which encouraged self-reflection and pulled me out of a really rough time. Some have shared that my book has another layer of emotional depth to it, and I credit this to learning about the Dao! It’s helped me find clarity within myself, my artistic voice, and my life in general.

BB: Getting back to HOME IN A LUNCHBOX, I was just gobsmacked by this book. Could you tell us a little bit about where it came from?

Cherry: I’m so glad you resonate with the book! HOME IN A LUNCHBOX is inspired by my personal experience of moving from Hong Kong to the U.S. at age 10. It is a memory that always stayed with me– the experience of loneliness and struggle of not being able to fit in. Whether immigrants or not, so many kids are dealing with the issue of not fitting in. I hope this book helps children see that they are not alone and that they are understood. One of the goals of this book was to give voice to those who struggle to express themselves, and encourage empathy and understanding towards others.

As the story developed, I wanted the illustrations to tell the bulk of the story. The almost wordless nature of the book offers a way of understanding and connecting with Jun on a deeper level, as we put ourselves in her shoes and share her experience of not being able to express oneself through words and the frustration that comes along with it.

BB: No doubt there are going to be some comparisons between this book and GIBBERISH by Young Vo and HERE I AM by Patti Kim, but it’s entirely its own creation. One of the elements that stood out to me particularly were the changes between illustrations. When she eats her food from home the whole feel of the book shifts. It becomes almost painterly. What medium did you use to illustrate this book? And were there changes in the art part of the book from the very start or did you add them in later?

Cherry: The book is actually done digitally, which comes as a surprise to some. I intended to keep the aesthetics of the traditional medium, so I executed the art in a way that mimics the use of color-pencils.

I love that you noticed the style shift! When Jun feels lonely, embarrassed, or frustrated, the black linework is darker and heavier. When Jun is relieved and joyful, I lightened up the linework and emphasized the colors, which gave it a painterly feel. The painterly style was actually not intentional, but it came about from my own reflection of Jun’s emotions when I colored the spreads. I had a general plan for the art of the book so there weren’t any major changes, but I was also open to subtle surprises and spontaneity along the way. That keeps it alive and fresh for myself too!

Thank you for this thoughtful question! It’s so rewarding to hear how the art is resonating with you and readers.

BB: Tell us a little bit about the process of making the book. Did this stay the same from the minute you conceived it, or did it change? Were ideas lost that you kind of miss? What are the differences between the earliest version and this one?

Cherry: The story definitely has changed drastically in the process of revising. The main character actually started out as an octopus! Initially, I thought an octopus would be the perfect animal to have trouble fitting in, so I drafted a whole book dummy about this octopus. I tried querying with this early version of the book and received several rejections. I’m glad it did because this inspired the shift into Jun as the main character.

The change in direction began from one spread where Jun is seen getting off the school bus alone, hugging her lunchbox. This spread was initially just an illustration in my portfolio. My dear friend and author-illustrator Heidi Aubrey suggested that I should do something with this piece and that it had potential. I’m so grateful for her input, because from there on, I decided to redo the whole book with Jun as the main character. Afterwards, the whole story became much more relatable and the emotions more tangible. All the stages in the process were well worth it. I actually don’t miss anything at all, not even the octopus! I’m really glad that the book has evolved into what it is today.

BB: Me too. I mean, I love octopuses (octopi?) but I love this book more. And another part of the book I love? Backmatter! Not only do you have translations of the words written on Jun (your main character)’s hand, but you’ve this mouthwatering look at “What is in Jun’s lunchbox”, broken down piece-by-piece. I wish more books did stuff like this. It’s incredibly creative. How did you come up with the idea?

Cherry: I thought it would be helpful to explain the words written on Jun’s hand, so children can also understand Jun’s language. In one of my school visits, I read aloud these Chinese characters, and the students started following along and pronouncing the Cantonese words with me. It was so adorable and heartwarming. Then I said, “You can now all speak to Jun!” The kids were delighted. It just warmed my heart. That is the purpose of this book, to bridge connections!

Another purpose of the backmatter was to explain why Jun said “toilet” instead of restroom. This note reflects Hong Kong’s use of British English and exposes kids to different perspectives and understanding the backgrounds that others may come from.

As for the lunchbox breakdown, I wanted to highlight select dishes in the diverse range of Chinese cuisine. Did you notice that the dishes are all vegetarian? As a lifelong vegetarian, I also wanted to show the range of vegetarian options available in Chinese food!

BB: Oh! I hadn’t noticed, so I’m so glad you mentioned it. Finally, we want to see many more books from you, so what else is on your plate? What’s coming out next?

Cherry: I have a second book with Penguin Workshop coming in Fall of 2026. This story will focus on mental health and is inspired by my own journey. Stay tuned!

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Big thanks to Cherry Mo for being so kind as to answer my questions. You can follow Cherry on X or Instagram or email her directly at cherrymo.art@gmail.com if you have questions of your own. Thanks too to Jordana Kulak and the team at Penguin Young Readers for helping to put this together. Home in a Lunchbox is on shelves now.

Filed under: Best Books, Best Books of 2024, Interviews, Review 2024, Reviews