I LOVE this book, there are so many topics covered and even though it is a picture book, it handles the very mature topic of intermarriage. One of the items that I would use along with the book is a website called http://freerice.com/ This site allows students through the study of vocabulary to donate rice to other countries. I don't think it is a scheme, and it doesn't ask the students for personal information. Students compete to fill the rice bowl while improving their vocabulary.
Finally, in the old days, when students were allowed to bring cooked foods into the classroom, all the students would prepare what they thought was a typical lunch for a Japanese students while we read Sadako and the Thousand Cranes ( we also made cranes). The quirkiest entree was from Bangladesh- where the amount of chili powder added to the rice wrapped in seaweed was almost unbearable. It provided an interesting entry point for talking about Asian fusion cuisine.