there are some really wonderful ideas in here for an international lunch box, but not enough. The book focuses more on the ideas more than the recipes. I wanted more recipes. ( )

Vegan Lunch Box Around the World by Jennifer McCann is a collection of vegan, allergy friendly recipes that your kids will love to have for lunch. Many of the recipes are also very suitable for dinner like the Chik'n Pot Pie and the New England Chowder. There are a wide variety of recipes including main course, soups, salads, grain dishes, veggie dishes & desserts.

The cookbook is broken down into two parts. Part one contains menus from around the world including United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, The Caribbean, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, The Middle East, India, Africa, Asia, Australia and Japan. Each section offers an explanation for some of the less common ingredients from the area like Vegemite in Australia and haggis in Scotland.

The first section also includes a sample menu from each country for example, in Vietnam, I found: Vegetarian Pho (page 103), Vietnamese Salad Rolls (page 91), Hoisin sauce for dipping, fresh or drained canned lychee fruit.

The second section lists all the recipes. There are a few sentences that describe the recipe, the recipe itself and then information on what allergens the recipe contains. Being a mom of two gluten intolerant children, I love this section! While the book is vegan (no meat, dairy or egg), you can easily add in meat proucts if you choose to.

The book has a section of beautiful color photographs in the center. Several meals are gorgeously displayed in a variety of settings including bento boxes, picnics and plates. The book also has a section on garnishes like radish rosettes that I found very interesting. The book has a total of 263 pages which includes two sections and twenty seven chapters.

The book is a combination of familiar recipes like carmelized squash and apples and more exotic recipes like golden Indonesian tempeh. You're sure to find recipes your kids will like but there may be some they aren't interested in too.

Some of the recipes include ingredients that I can't find in my area which is probably more my fault than anything. It would have been nice to have a few comments on what I could substitute for Asian Portobellos if I couldn't find them.