What's That?
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, Jax 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 and the delicious meals they eat with their families. What’s That? is a heartwarming story about the foods that make up who we are and how the meals we eat can bring us together.
For ages 3+
Book Details
Author: Karen Chan
Illustrator: Basia Tran
Hardback ISBN: 9781737240402
Publication date: November 15, 2021
Features: Hardcover, 9” x 11”, full color illustrations, 40 pages
Printed on FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper
About the Author
Karen Chan is a mom, entrepreneur and attorney who lives in Los Angeles. What’s That? is her debut children’s book. She loves cooking and eating and is always thumbing through a new cookbook or children’s book.
About the Illustrator
Basia Tran is a Polish-Vietnamese children's book illustrator currently based in Jersey City, where she lives with her husband. She hopes that she can share her love of laughter and learning with the world through her art.
From the Author
I wrote this book for every kid that has been teased about a weird lunch. Food can be a big part of a person's identity, especially when you are part of an immigrant community, and there are times when it can make you feel like an outsider. But food also has a way of bridging our differences. Whether it’s the joy we feel from eating our favorite comfort food or our memories of cooking in the kitchen— these are the universal experiences that everyone can relate to regardless of where we come from.