SuitabookYoko
Rosemary Wells
- Reading
- Read together and pause when the lunch is mocked or questioned. Invite the reader to imagine several respectful responses, then revisit whether the classroom plan seems fair to everyone involved.
- Themes
- Unfamiliar food and cultural difference: Yoko brings sushi and red bean ice cream to school, while classmates respond negatively to the food. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Adult intervention in a peer conflict: Mrs Jenkins has a plan intended to address the problem with the other children in class. The teacher’s intervention is presented as a possible response, but it is not clear whether the plan centres children’s voices, changes behaviour or succeeds.
- Worth knowing
- Notice whether the story gives Yoko room to express her own feelings and choices, and whether the other children’s reactions are challenged, changed or simply presented. The ending is not established.