Padma Lakshmi’s TOMATOES FOR NEELA was featured in the U.S. Book Show, which was held from May 25-27 and featured keynote speeches and discussions with authors of upcoming high-profile titles. Lakshmi sat down with Viking Children’s Books editorial director Tamar Brazis for her keynote, where she spoke about “[wanting] to create a story that taught [her] daughter about respecting the seasons, knowing when different things grew, and also where our food comes from,” as well as “[shortening] that distance…between the tomato on the dinner table and the hands that picked it.” The keynote was also highlighted on Publishers Weekly’s best-of list from the event. Viking Books for Young Readers will publish the book on August 31, 2021.