Meal by Blue Delliquanti and Soleil Ho

Meal is a beautiful graphic novel about a young chef's desire to share her love for insects in food. Yarrow is young, but her determination and passion are endearing. I really enjoy how Blue introduces the characters to the reader. We learn about Yarrow and her new attractive neighbor Milani. They have some sweet, playful banter that honestly made my heart melt! Every time they were in a scene wanted them to keep talking FOREVER.

The introduction to Casa Chicatana and her crew was brilliant. A young aspiring chef off to try and join her inspiration, Chanda! As owner and proprietor of Casa Chicatana, she is a hard worker who cares deeply about her food and how it is shared with others. I really enjoyed the struggle Chanda and Yarrow had at first with each other. They both have similar interests but are in different places in life. Where Yarrow is young and looking for inspiration, Chanda desires to share her culture and break down negative barriers around it.

The artwork for this graphic novel is lovely. A seemingly simple black and white opens to expressive strokes and charming scene work. Each character has unique designs that are actively a part of the story. Not a word, line, or color is wasted during this novel's creation, and this work's passion is delectable to consume.

Full of life, love, and beauty, Meal is a book that is best read with a special snack (maybe even one inspired by the book) and space to ponder the potential new experiences have to illuminate our lives. I hope you can pick up Blue Delliquanti and Soleil Ho's gorgeous graphic novel Meal.