Summary:

Throughout Ethan’s kindergarten year, he navigates new obstacles in and out of school. He’s figured out the hot-lunch routine and is working on writing his bs and ds, but he finds the game of four-square and the playground bully especially challenging. With the help of his third-grade cousin, Lucy, and the supportive grownups at his school and home, Ethan overcomes bullying and encounters new friends.

Summary:

Before Ethan’s first day of Kindergarten, he spends the summer learning the rules for How to Eat Hot Lunch at School from his cousin Lucy. On the first day of school, Ethan is ready to recite his colors, most of the numbers, and his last name for Mrs. C., who works in the cafeteria, but when the students in Miss G.’s classroom accidentally forget to hold their lunch trays with both hands while following the silver line and looking at the back of the head of the person in front of them, poor Eddie, the janitor, ends up with a big mess to clean up. 

Review:

“Glover’s first picture book is engaging, charming, and entertaining. Ethan Eats Hot Lunch is representative of the universal hot lunch routine children are inducted into upon entering school. The book introduces young learners to the social constructs necessary for eating in a community while playfully acknowledging the curiosity that surrounds the idea of eating together. Arant’s illustrations enhance Glover’s words with affable characters based on Glover’s former students. Ethan Eats Hot Lunch speaks to readers of all ages.”

Rhonda Fielder-Long - School Librarian