"Hello!
Hel ... lo!
What's your name?
Th ... ank
you ..."
This heartfelt immigration story begins and ends with telling endpapers. At the front, readers see the energy and bustle that is Hong Kong on the verso. Crossing the gutter brings attention to a street in the suburbs, where an international moving van is making its way along that street. The title page shows a loving mother kissing her smiling child goodbye as she heads off to school.
It's Monday at the bus stop. The girl is waiting when another girl walks up. They say hello and she is asked her name. Jun, who does not speak English, checks her palm where three phrases are written in Chinese script with an English translation beside each. To the girl's question, she replies 'Th ... ank you ...' It is a mystifying response.
Problems with communication and understanding endure, leaving Jun unhappy and unsettled. The only thing that brings peace during the school day happens when she opens her lunch box, which is filled with her favorite foods. After the first few difficult days, the girl from the bus stop shows interest in her lunch. This leads to some sharing with the kids around her. It is a new beginning for Jun and her classmates. A final spread shows her arrival home, with friends in tow. What a difference comes with kindness.
This warm tale is told primarily in sensitive artwork that is varied in perspective. Changes in color reflect how Jun is feeling as she deals with the anxiety of being the new kid, and the family memories her lunches inspire. A glossary of Cantonese words is much appreciated, as is a captioned look at and description of what is in Jun's lunchbox.
The final endpapers allow a look at Jun's framed artwork that shows her memories from before the move and, on the recto, the happiness found in her new life.
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