Description

A little girl watches as her mama fills up a big box, but this is no ordinary package. It has a special name: the balikbayan box.

Together, they pack all sorts of gifts and treats for their family in the Philippines, but the girl has a secret wish to send along inside. A wish to fly with the box to meet her cousins and Lola and their family and to see and experience all the places where Mama grew up. A wish she hopes will one day come true.

Faith Kazmi and Christine Almeda take readers on a moving journey in this lyrical and poignant picture book that celebrates the dreams that are shared with loved ones back home and the power of love to connect families across oceans and lands.

About the Author

Faith Kazmi is an educator and author who loved to daydream as a kid (and continues to as an adult). Deeply inspired by her Filipino heritage, she writes stories that celebrate family, culture, and love. By day, Faith works with college students around issues of equity, liberation, and care. She enjoys living in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and their mini Goldendoodle, Coco. This is Faith’s first picture book, which is truly a dream come true. Visit Faith at faithkazmi.com.

Christine Almeda is a Filipino American freelance illustrator from New Jersey. She is also the illustrator of Lolo’s Sari-Sari Store by Sophia N. Lee and Maya and the Robot by Eve L. Ewing. Christine believes that through the power of creativity and storytelling, art can make life more beautiful. When she's not drawing, she's usually cooking, playing video games, or taking even more photos of the sky. Visit her at christinealmeda.com.

Praise For…

"A mother and child connect with loved ones by post and shared memory in Kazmi’s cheerfully told debut. Specific details (e.g., Mama’s including a particular, hard-to-find toothpaste in the box) capture the care that goes into the final product, and Almeda’s inventive digital images, which show Mama placed in moments of reminiscence while packing the box, add imaginative flair to this straightforward telling with a connective heart." — Publishers Weekly

"Almeda perfectly matches the cozy tone of Kazmi’s evenly paced, tender tale with warm colors and expressive cartoons that fill each page. This is one big package of love and joy." — Kirkus Reviews