Published: 2022
Author: Costantia Manoli | Illustrator: Magdalena Mora
Genre: Children’s Cultural Fiction / Immigrant Experience Literature
Audience: Kindergarten–Grade 3
Number of Stars: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Goodreads Link: Tomatoes in My Lunchbox
Themes: The Immigrant Experience, Cultural Pride, Names and Identity, Belonging, Empathy, Playground Inclusivity.
Review by: Megan Powell
Publisher’s Summary
A moving picture book from a debut author about the first day of school, layered with themes about the immigrant experience and the universal experience of feeling out of place. child, newly arrived in another country, feels displaced, lonely, and a little scared on her first day of school. Her name doesn’t sound the way she’s used to hearing it. She knows she doesn’t fit in. And when she eats her whole tomato for lunch, she can feel her classmates observing her—and not quite understanding her. But sometimes all it takes is one friend, one connection, to bring two worlds together, and gradually the girl, her tomato, and her full name, start to feel at home with her new friends and community. This emotionally sweeping debut picture book by Costantia Manoli, with vibrant art by Magdalena Mora, artfully captures feelings of displacement and the joy that comes from forging new friendships.
Review
This beautiful story centers around a young girl who is an immigrant navigating a new school environment. She carries a unique name and initially feels that it is incredibly hard for her to fit in with the other girls because of how different her name sounds in this new country. However, as time goes on, she makes compassionate friends who support her and actually think that her name is incredibly cool. Once she feels safe and comfortable enough to talk openly about her name, she feels a profound shift, allowing her to finally be more herself.
I highly recommend this book to be placed in any early childhood classroom library. It is wonderfully diverse and serves as an incredibly easy, accessible read. The book is not too long, and there are not too many intimidating words on each page, making it a great pick for early readers. The illustrations are lovely and carry an exceptional, deep message behind them.
The imagery of the tomato comes into play beautifully when she is in the school lunchroom. She has brought a full, raw tomato to bite directly out of for her meal. She describes how this style of eating was viewed as strange or different here in this country, despite being very common and normal in her home country. In a gorgeous display of empathy, her new friends choose to bite out of the tomato with her to make her feel comfortable, ensuring she knows that she isn’t alone. It puts such a very sweet, essential message out there to share with your classroom.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Social-Emotional Learning (The Sacredness of Names & Identity):
- Activity Idea: “The Story of Our Names.” Our names are the first and most vital anchors of our personal identity. Have students go home and interview their families about how their name was chosen, its linguistic meaning, or its cultural history. Have them share their “Name Story” with the class, ensuring every child practices pronouncing their peers’ names correctly and respectfully.
- Cultural Social Studies & Media Literacy (Food Foundations & Belonging):
- Activity Idea: “The Inclusivity Picnic.” The raw tomato acts as a cultural bridge in the story, transforming from a source of playground alienation to a site of shared friendship. Lead a classroom circle discussion on how different cultures wrap, serve, or enjoy common foods. Have students draw their ultimate cultural comfort food lunchbox, practicing how to show genuine curiosity instead of judgment toward unfamiliar customs.
- Art & Creative Writing (Visualizing Safe Spaces):
- Activity Idea: “Bridging Two Worlds.” Reflect on how the illustrations convey the main character’s internal feelings of loneliness shifting into belonging. Have students draw a two-panel picture: the first panel showing a time they felt left out or out of place, and the second panel showing the “bridge”—the friend or action that helped them feel right at home.
