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oomilyreads's review
5.0
The Yuckiest Lunch Box: A Children's Story about Food, Cultural Differences, and Inclusion written by Debbie Min
Little Nari excitedly brings one of her favorite Korean foods to school but the other children made fun of the smell & look food that they’ve never seen before. During Cultural Appreciation Day, Nari dressed up in her traditional hanbok and brought Korean food and again the other kids made fun of her. When an adult tastes her food and said it was the yummiest food she’s ever tasted, all the kids wanted to try it too. Nari in turn helps another child who brought in his traditional Indian food.
This fun but important story tells us that sometimes people fear and make fun of things they know little about. Being open-minded about another’s culture and differences is essential to community. It only took one adult to step in.
I can relate to this story, in elementary school my mom never knew what to pack me on field trips and would pack me rice and meat and I’d be embarrassed to eat them around my friends who all got sandwiches as their “normal” American lunches. I’d ask her to pack me sandwiches, but she never did. Not even PB&J!
This is such an uplifting picture book for young children!
Little Nari excitedly brings one of her favorite Korean foods to school but the other children made fun of the smell & look food that they’ve never seen before. During Cultural Appreciation Day, Nari dressed up in her traditional hanbok and brought Korean food and again the other kids made fun of her. When an adult tastes her food and said it was the yummiest food she’s ever tasted, all the kids wanted to try it too. Nari in turn helps another child who brought in his traditional Indian food.
This fun but important story tells us that sometimes people fear and make fun of things they know little about. Being open-minded about another’s culture and differences is essential to community. It only took one adult to step in.
I can relate to this story, in elementary school my mom never knew what to pack me on field trips and would pack me rice and meat and I’d be embarrassed to eat them around my friends who all got sandwiches as their “normal” American lunches. I’d ask her to pack me sandwiches, but she never did. Not even PB&J!
This is such an uplifting picture book for young children!
javierfp82's review
4.0
This was so cute! A fantastic way to teach kids to embrace their culture and heritage and be proud of it. It also teaches them how making fun of others because of their differences is always hurtful and based on their own ignorance. Instead of poking fun and pointing the finger, try to learn and understand others and your life will be much more richer. Many adults should take note of this too.
theredheded_bibliomaniac's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Very good book for children.
It will inspire them to embrace their culture.
It will inspire them to embrace their culture.
shieldmaiden27's review
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
half_bloodreader's review
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A classroom must!
Based on the author's real experiences, it's just like the blurb says: a great multicultural tool to share awareness and help open our children's minds to the beauty of diversity, in all its forms. It encourages kids to be proud of their heritage, and embrace that of others.
When your child sees how upset Nari gets with the negative reaction to the Korean food her loving mother made, maybe they'll think twice about teasing their classmates ("if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all", goes the saying, right?). If we teach kids diversity is beautiful and exciting and, yet, normal, then maybe they'll be the kind of adult who doesn't say hurtful things and is open to new experiences. Let them watch some documentaries too! Watching documentaries since I was little, absolutely broadened my horizons about how people live around the world!
I've said this before. We all have foods we don't like. But when we outright reject another culture's food, based on stereotypes or differences, it stems from prejudice. Especially when it is used to start rumours and attacks, like we saw previously in The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar.
This book has a happy ending in which we also get a wink for how allies can help, by stepping up and normalising these differences.
Thank you to the author for trusting me with this adorable book 😊
Based on the author's real experiences, it's just like the blurb says: a great multicultural tool to share awareness and help open our children's minds to the beauty of diversity, in all its forms. It encourages kids to be proud of their heritage, and embrace that of others.
When your child sees how upset Nari gets with the negative reaction to the Korean food her loving mother made, maybe they'll think twice about teasing their classmates ("if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all", goes the saying, right?). If we teach kids diversity is beautiful and exciting and, yet, normal, then maybe they'll be the kind of adult who doesn't say hurtful things and is open to new experiences. Let them watch some documentaries too! Watching documentaries since I was little, absolutely broadened my horizons about how people live around the world!
I've said this before. We all have foods we don't like. But when we outright reject another culture's food, based on stereotypes or differences, it stems from prejudice. Especially when it is used to start rumours and attacks, like we saw previously in The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar.
This book has a happy ending in which we also get a wink for how allies can help, by stepping up and normalising these differences.
Thank you to the author for trusting me with this adorable book 😊
kindredbooks's review
4.0
Have you ever been embarrassed by your culture’s food? The young Korean protagonist in The Yuckiest Lunch Box is about to experience that firsthand when she goes to school. Thank you to Debbie Min, the author, for reaching out and providing an e-copy of the books for me to read and review. In The Yuckiest Lunch Box, Nari loves kimbap, her favourite Korean food, and she is quite excited to bring it to school on the first day of first grade. But things take a downward turn when her classmates make comments about her lunch. Embarrassed by their reactions, Nari beings to reject her cultural food and attempts to fit in. When a great opportunity arises at school to share her culture - the clothing and food - Nari musters up her courage to share her culture with her classmates.
I think this is a story that many non-mainstream students may have experienced before. It definitely resonates and this story is one that uplifts and shows the positive outcomes that can occur when we embrace our cultures. It is also a story about acceptance and open-mindedness in the face of ignorance. I personally loved the end of the story when Nari is able to put what she learned to help other classmates experiencing the same thing as her.
I think this is a story that many non-mainstream students may have experienced before. It definitely resonates and this story is one that uplifts and shows the positive outcomes that can occur when we embrace our cultures. It is also a story about acceptance and open-mindedness in the face of ignorance. I personally loved the end of the story when Nari is able to put what she learned to help other classmates experiencing the same thing as her.
lelliereads's review
5.0
The Yuckiest Lunchbox is an children's picture book that follows a young Korean girl in the first grade who brings traditional Korean food to lunch on her first day of school, and the other kids tease her and think that the food smells bad. This upsets and embarrasses Nari so she asks her mother to make an American lunch for her instead. Soon Nari grows into her culture with the help of her mother and and a culture day at the school where the other kids learn more about her food and traditional clothing.
This is an important book because I think everyone who brings something other than a sandwich to lunch in elementary school has experienced this situation, but especially POC. It reminds me of the scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where Tula brings moussaka for lunch and the girls tease her so she wants to bring a sandwich to fit in. I even remember this happening to a girl in my Kindergarten class who was from Japan and brought seaweed chips for the class on culture day and everyone hated it and made a dramatic show about it being "gross" (including me, who as an adult loves seaweed and sushi). I don't remember a lot fromwhen I was that young so the fact that this is a memory that stayed with me is pretty telling, and I wasn't even the one who brought the food in.
I think this is an important book for children of all ages and backgrounds to be proud of your food and also to try other culture's foods instead of dismissing them.
Thank you to the author who sent me a free PDF copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is an important book because I think everyone who brings something other than a sandwich to lunch in elementary school has experienced this situation, but especially POC. It reminds me of the scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where Tula brings moussaka for lunch and the girls tease her so she wants to bring a sandwich to fit in. I even remember this happening to a girl in my Kindergarten class who was from Japan and brought seaweed chips for the class on culture day and everyone hated it and made a dramatic show about it being "gross" (including me, who as an adult loves seaweed and sushi). I don't remember a lot fromwhen I was that young so the fact that this is a memory that stayed with me is pretty telling, and I wasn't even the one who brought the food in.
I think this is an important book for children of all ages and backgrounds to be proud of your food and also to try other culture's foods instead of dismissing them.
Thank you to the author who sent me a free PDF copy in exchange for an honest review.
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