Everyone Loves Lunchtime but Zia

A heartwarming picture book about a Chinese-American girl who grows to appreciate the traditional dishes her parents prepare for her and finds a way to share her lunch with her classmates.

Everyone loves lunchtime. Everyone, that is, but Zia.

At school, the other kids are eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese and crackers, and apples on the side. But Zia's always nervous about opening her lunchbox. Her dumpling and noodle dishes look different and smell different. She dreads lunchtime.

Then, during her birthday week, her parents pack her a different Cantonese dish each day and explain what the food represents: a roast pork bun to bring treasure, soy sauce chicken to bring success, and more. At first, Zia doesn’t want to eat her lunch, but once she starts, she just may realize her food could bring her good fortune after all!

Jenny Liao is a Chinese-American author of stories that inspire children to find pride in every part of their identity. She also writes for multiple editorial publications, including The Better Normal and Recess, with a focus on food and travel as a means to understand and embrace cultures—both others' and our own.
 

Dream is an artist with background in both illustration and animation. She received her BFA in animation at Communication University of China, and complete her MFA in visual art at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her illustration and animation work has been awarded by competitions and festivals worldwide.