I Want to Be Spaghetti!

by Kiera Wright-Ruiz, Claudia Lam (Illustrator)

Overview

A funny debut picture book about how one little ramen packet finds self-love and belonging in a spaghetti-obsessed world.

Even from Ramen's small shelf in the supermarket, they see spaghetti propaganda everywhere. They want to be celebrated, too. Maybe, Ramen misguidedly thinks, I have to change to be loved like that. "I want to be spaghetti!" they proclaim to the dismay of the rest of the instant noodle section.

But when Ramen's brought home and placed in a warm bowl of broth alongside new friends like Chashu, Narutomaki, and Nori, they realize they've always been perfect exactly the way they are. Colorfully illustrated by Claudia Lam (@theforestmori), this heartwarming story about identity and community from food writer Kiera Wright-Ruiz (@kierawrr) celebrates the beauty of being yourself —and being recognized for who you are.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593529874
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	07/11/2023
Pages:	56
Sales rank:	62,270
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kiera Wright-Ruiz is a writer and recipe developer. She has written for publications like The New York Times, Food52, Serious Eats and The Kitchn. Her work explores the diversity of food and amplifies underrepresented communities. Her debut recipe book, The Half-Latinx Cookbook, publishes in 2025 from Harvest. When not writing, she is probably eating onigiri with her husband and dog somewhere in Tokyo, where she is based. Find more about her work @kierawrr and kierawrightruiz.com.












Claudia Lam, also known as The Forest Mori, is an independent illustrator, designer, and ceramic artist. From painting and pottery to digital art and graphic design, Claudia works with various creative mediums to explore colours and art styles that convey a sense of relatability. It is her focus to bring joy to people through her artwork by selling it worldwide, curating creative content for brands, and becoming a children’s book illustrator. Find more about her work @theforestmori and theforestmori.com

Editorial Reviews

Praise for I Want to Be Spaghetti!

Amazon Best Book of the Month
Good Housekeeping’s 2023 Kids’ Book Award
Brightly Best Picture Book of 2023


"Use your noodle and add this saucy tale to your collection!" —Kirkus Reviews

"Aerial perspectives, round vignettes, and repetition of ramen ingredients introduced in the kitchen (egg, chashu, narutomaki, nori), share how Ramen is special and perfect just the way they are."
—BCCB

From the Publisher

2023-04-24
Learn to love yourself for who you are.

A bright orange instant ramen package, with big round black eyes and a tiny red mouth, sits on a supermarket shelf with fellow ramen packages. Ramen announces they would much rather be spaghetti—after all, the spaghetti aisle is much bigger, and there are so many people shopping for it. The other ramen packages try to change our hero’s mind by saying how cool they are—to no avail. After being purchased and driven home, Ramen hopes their new owners will prepare them with meatballs and tomato sauce. However, upon arriving in the kitchen, Ramen discovers their true destiny as well as accompanying treats that make ramen a tasty, unique dinner. Wright-Ruiz’s first-person narrative combines jaunty dialogue with rich vocabulary, like penne and fettuccineas well as nori and narutomaki. Her message that children should embrace what makes them different comes through clearly. Lam’s vibrant illustrations have a striking mangalike feel, with large round eyes, exaggerated expressions, and paneled vignettes that evoke humor and energy. Her vivid palette of yellows, oranges, and browns is mesmerizing, with pop art–style endpapers that feature ingredients from the story. An author’s note provides a short history of ramen. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Use your noodle and add this saucy tale to your collection! (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews