Box of Dreams

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. 

Faith Kazmi is an educator and author who loved to daydream as a kid (and continues to as an adult). Deeply inspired by her Filipino heritage, she writes stories that celebrate family, culture, and love. By day, Faith works with college students around issues of equity, liberation, and care. She enjoys living in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and their mini Goldendoodle, Coco. This is Faith’s first picture book, which is truly a dream come true. Visit Faith at faithkazmi.com.

Christine Almeda is a Filipino American freelance illustrator from New Jersey. She is also the illustrator of Lolo’s Sari-Sari Store by Sophia N. Lee and Maya and the Robot by Eve L. Ewing. Christine believes that through the power of creativity and storytelling, art can make life more beautiful. When she's not drawing, she's usually cooking, playing video games, or taking even more photos of the sky. Visit her at christinealmeda.com.