Box of Dreams

Juvenile Fiction / Asian American & Pacific Islander

This debut picture book from Faith Kazmi and illustrated by Christine Almeda celebrates the dreams that are shared with loved ones back home as a young girl and her mother pack up a special balikbayan box for their relatives in the Philippines.

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, Lola, and their family and to see and experience all the places where Mama grew up. A wish she hopes one day comes 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.