Bharati Jagannathan

I really liked this book for many reasons. The message of this book is to find the good in what you have in life, which is a valuable message that all young children have trouble doing at times. It also incorporates Indian culture, since Samira’s lunch is parathas and brinjal curry, which are popular Indian foods. I know a lot of people who did not like the Indian food their parents packed them for lunch as children. Curry is a flavor that most people do not learn to appreciate until they are older. The concept of a young girl who does not want to eat Indian food for lunch is relatable to many Indian children. This makes the book more engaging. When the animals outside of school offer Samira their food, Samira begins to realize how lucky she is to have parathas, curry, and vegetables in her lunch box. This plot also shows positive character development, since Samira goes from refusing to eat her lunch to appreciating the food in her lunch box. Most children are picky eaters, so this book encourages them to enjoy the food they are given in a fun and engaging way. The illustrations are interesting because they include a combination of realistic art and art that looks like a child drew it. The contrast between these different styles of art makes each picture unique and intriguing. Since there are a lot of Indian food terms mentioned in this story, a teacher or parent would need to describe these terms to students before reading the book. Otherwise, students would get confused and focus too much on words they don’t know and would not be able to focus on the content of the story. The rest of the writing is easy for children to understand and written with a lot of detail.… (mais)