Stay for Dinner by Sandhya Parappukkaran illustrated by Michelle Pereira

 

"I love dinner time with my family, especially when friends are invited."

On special days Reshma eat sadhya, a traditional multi-course vegetarian meal served on banana leaves. This is very different from the meals she shares in the homes of her friends - Charlotte's mum serves roast chicken, carrots, peas, and pumpkin and the family use knives and forks to eat their meal.

"I wonder why we don't use cutlery. Papa always says the food tastes better when we eat it with our hands."

At Phoebe's place the family eat noodles, and dumplings using chop sticks. And the next day at Leo's Reshma joins them for spaghetti and meatballs - twirled around forks. 

Mama suggests they should thank everyone for taking care of Reshma. Everyone is invited for dinner. 

"Will my friends laugh? Eating with hands is not like ting-ting cutlery or click-clack chopsticks."

All of this reminded me of Amma's Sari and the anxiety of that little girl when she thought her mum looked different. Young Reshma is also worried about being embarrassed and she's worried about how the other parents will react to eating with their hands from banana leaves. Not to mention the burping!

Publisher blurb: Reshma loves dinnertime with her family. Her family eat with their hands – not just finger food type–eating, but hands-on squishy eating. When she’s invited to stay for dinner at her friends’ places, she finds out that they all eat in different ways. Some go ting ting with their cutlery, and others go click clack with their chopsticks. So what will her friends say when they see her family eat with their hands?

There is some delicious language in this book: keepie-uppies; jostle; ting-ting; prong; click clack; clickety-clack; swish swish; splatters; rice rains down; sambar splashes; pappadum smashes. 

Here are a set of teachers notes from the publisher. These notes also include a fabulous and extensive book list with terrific titles to source and share with your class. 

I thought of this one - long out of print but it might be in your school library:

Each page is a delight for ears and eyes, an invitation to explore and enjoy the richness and variety of the food eaten by these happy families ...  Storylinks

This story explores how kindness and being open to new ideas and possibilities, without judgement, can break down fears; empowering one to embrace new experiences, leading to an increased understanding and appreciation for diverse ways of being. Reading opens doors

Australia is a multicultural country and many schools or should I say the majority of schools in my state of New South Wales would have children from so many places around the world. Oddly though, my former school did not. There were only a handful of children across the school who came from UK, South Africa and one or two from USA - and that's out of a school population of 850+. My former school had a sister school relationship with another school in a different part of Sydney and that school had children from over 60 different countries. All of that means this book is an even more important one to share with students in any school - it will be affirming for many children and hopefully create awareness and empathy in others.  

This is the third book by Sandhya and Michelle.  I was on the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) judging panel when their first book was submitted for the New Illustrator award. AND YES it was the winner! I am going to predict that Stay for Dinner will be on the CBCA Picture Book Notables list for 2024 and it has a good chance of reaching the shortlist too. (I am not a judge for this round). 

Read more about this book here. 

Amma's Sari

Zadie Ma and the Dog who Chased the Moon by Gabrielle Wang

Zadie Ma really wants a dog of her own. She has a magical ability - when she writes a story it sometimes comes true. Zadie writes a story about a stray dog called Jupiter. Yes, she does find and rescue him but owning a dog is not straightforward. Her mother has forbidden Zadie to have a dog. The new family who live over the back fence have lots of pets of all shapes and sizes. The girl in the new family is named Eleanor Elspeth Eaglemont but she prefers to be called Sparrow. Sparrow is happy to look after Jupiter until Zadie can convince her mother to change her mind. 

Interspersed through the book we read short stories penned by Zadie.

Publisher blurb: Zadie Ma has a special talent for telling stories . . . and it seems that some of Zadie’s stories come true. Zadie’s dearest wish is to have a dog of her own and so she starts to write the story of a poor unwanted dog called Jupiter, who’s just waiting to be rescued by a loving girl like Zadie. One morning when she’s supposed to be minding the family shop for her mother, Zadie sets off to look for Jupiter. The scene that unfolds isn’t quite the same as in her story but she does find a real dog, and his name is Jupiter. Once Zadie has rescued him, she realises she can’t just take Jupiter home because her mother won’t let her keep a dog. Luckily her bold new friend Sparrow lets Zadie keep Jupiter at her house till Zadie can work things out. But a series of unlucky events means that Zadie can’t write the happy ending she dreams of for her story, and now she may lose her beloved Jupiter forever. Can Zadie’s most important story of all finally come true?

The book’s structure and style are both unique and refreshing, weaving narrative, allegory (in the form of Zadie’s own stories interspersed throughout) and graphic novel elements.  Reading Time

I loved Sparrow – I loved that she refused to believe in stereotypes and assumptions about people, that even though everyone gravitated towards her, she still chose Zadie over being the most popular girl in school. And I loved the loyalty she had to Zadie, and the loyalty Zadie showed to her – they were true friends. Book Muse

Readers aged 9+ will enjoy this story especially those who also long for a dog. Children with immigrant parents who work long hours in small businesses such as the shop owned by Mrs Ma are sure to identify with Zadie and other readers will gain an insight into different family relationships and cultural expectations.

Listen to an audio sample here.

This feels very autobiographical and so there are moments in this story which are deeply affecting especially the relationship between Zadie and her mum, dad and little brother and the depictions of the milk bar. I don’t usually enjoy books with other stories interspersed between the chapters and some of these work quite well. I especially loved the character of Sparrow and her kindness to Zadie. School has been hard for Zadie. We know she is teased and even bullied and has become quite withdrawn and shy. Sparrow arrives and becomes her friend. I just wanted to hug Sparrow!

Gabrielle Wang is our current Australian Children's Laureate. As I read Zadie Ma and the dog who chased the Moon, as I said,  I was sure this book was autobiographical and now I read these quotes from Gabrielle Wang: 

This book is very different from any of my other novels because it’s part narrative, part graphic novel, part fable. It is also a very personal story that I’ve carried with me almost all my life, well before I knew I would be an author.

There are many themes in this novel: friendship, diversity, Chinese culture, racism, bullying, war, courage, hope and connectedness. But above all, it is about the power of story – how they can change you on the inside and impact the world around you.

In this video Gabrielle talks with the Australian Writers' Centre (40 minutes).

Here are some of her previous books:

The Wishbird

The Beast of Hushing Wood

I remember I really enjoyed The Garden of the Empress Cassia (2002). I haven't talked about it here but perhaps I will find a copy at the next Lifeline Bookfair. 

All Four Quarters of the Moon by Shirley Marr

Peijing and her little sister Biju have moved to Australia with their parents Ma Ma, Ba Ba and her grandmother Ah Ma. Everyone in the family has to make huge adjustments in order to cope with this new place. Peijing loves her Ah Ma but Ah Ma is beginning to act strangely as her memory deteriorates. None of the adults seem able to talk to Peijing about this. Back in Singapore Ma Ma was popular and confident but with little or no English here in Australia she has retreated into her home. It is so difficult to mesh traditional family customs and expectations with the new life Peijing is experiencing at her school. And also she has new levels of responsibility towards her sister and her mother. 

Peijing and Biju share a Little World. It is all made from paper and they love to add new creatures and invent stories as they play.

"Little World was something familiar. Something safe. Something to escape into. Where minutes could become hours and hours grow into days. Where in the blink of an eye, ecosystems could grow and flourish and collapse again back into the ocean, and large herds of beasts that only existed in your mind could cross from one continent to another. Where something you made yourself could be your home, even just for a while."

"There were zoos and farms and a network of underground burrows and branches of trees made of many pieces of paper sticky-taped together. There were oceans, rivers and lakes too but some of them were so big they stretched from one side of the room to the other."

In a moment that lingers with me, on the day the family leave for Australia, everything in their Little World box is gone. Peijing knows that her mother has done this. Biuj is distraught but the girls find one paper rabbit hidden under a flap in the box. Peijing tells Biuj to hide the rabbit so they can take him to Australia. There is such a raw honesty to this scene that it must be a memory from Shirley Marr's own childhood. In fact I wonder how much of this story is autobiographical such as the scene where Biju refuses to use chopsticks (chapter 10). I also adored the unfold friendship between Peijing and Joanna. Every story needs a special and kind friend like Joanna. 

"Peijing's heart was beating fast. She wanted to yell at the boy to take back what he said about Joanna. She wanted to punch him in the face for saying what he did about her. Then she wanted to run out of the school gates, run until she reached the ocean and, even though she could now swim, make it impossibly back home."

Interspersed between chapters are Biju’s own retellings of myths and fables, offering the sisters a chance to consider elements of Chinese culture as Peijing seeks to navigate between the values of her family and their teachings and what she learns in Australia. And we also witness a transformation of each family member - Ba Ba softens, cooks and forms a relationship with his daughters and Ma Ma finds a job at the Asian Mart. 

This is a read with tons of heart. Peijing, is a kind and family orientated girl, who tries her best to keep a positive outlook but often feels like she's sinking, instead. She struggles not only with the new environment and language but can't seem to find her place in school. Still, she does her best and keeps an inspiring and heart-warming attitude...even when it proves difficult, at times. Especially her relationship with her younger sister touches the heart (even when things aren't always smooth) and makes this a wonderful read about the sisterly bond. Book Worm for Kids

There are so many things to say about this book – it’s lyrical, magical, beautiful, and comforting – because it reassures all readers that we are not alone in feeling like we don’t fit in, and lets readers know that we can find a way to fit in and be ourselves. The Book Muse

As I write this it is Book Week here in Australia and one of the major things that happens this week is the announcement of our National children's book award winners by the Children's Book Council of Australia.  There are six categories of awards and one of these is for Younger Readers (in the US you might call this elementary school).  The winner for 2022 is by Shirley Marr - A Glasshouse of Stars.  

When you read both of these book I recommend you should then try to find books by Gabrielle Wang and Grace Lin (especially Where the Mountain meets the Moon).