What's in the Cookie Tin?

Written by Yolanda T. Marshall

Illustrated by Golnoush Moini

Chalkboard Publishing

978-1-77105-884-1

36 pp.

Ages 3-8

2024 

 

Who doesn't have an assortment of cookie tins kicking around the house? Whether they were the packaging in which biscuits were purchased or tins specifically purchased to store cookies, most people have at least a couple. But what is inside a cookie tin cannot be discerned until that lid is removed. And when a tin displays an assortment of tasty treats, what would most children anticipate? 

From What's in the Cookie Tin?, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illustrated by Golnoush Moini

Olivia and Benjamin head over to their grandparents' home, looking forward to their grandfather's wacky pranks and the hugs they get from Grandma. But they are especially keen to go through their father's childhood toys in the guest bedroom. That is, until Benjamin spots a blue and gold cookie tin on a shelf. Their struggle to open the tin–those tins can be a struggle for little hands–is interrupted by lunch.

From What's in the Cookie Tin?, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illustrated by Golnoush Moini

Surprisingly, they revisit that cookie tin when Grandma goes to mend a tear in Olivia's dress. But why would Grandma want cookies to repair a torn dress? The surprise is on Grandma, though, much to the delight of the children because Grandpa had another trick up his sleeve.

From What's in the Cookie Tin?, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illustrated by Golnoush Moini

Yolanda T. Marshall speaks to so many with this playful and yet innocent story of a cookie tin. That cookie tin, with which many who have ever enjoyed butter cookies from a tin will be familiar, brings joy and laughter through a little fun, a lot of tastiness, and a family-load of affection.  And Yolanda T. Marshall, who also wrote the recently reviewed Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, not only tells a charming intergenerational story, but she also gives us a story of a black family. Though the number of stories with persons of colour are ever increasing, it's lovely to read a story that would allow black children to see themselves and their families as typical and sweet and lighthearted, as every child should.

 

Golnoush Moini, an illustrator and 2D animator from Vancouver, keeps that playfulness in her prominent colours and well-defined shapes. It's also refreshing how dark-skinned Golnoush Moini makes her characters, not trying to appease non-BIPOC who narrow-mindedly expect families of lighter skin. From the grandparents to the grandkids, the characters in What's in the Cookie Tin? are convincing real in appearance and activities.

This cookie tin is busy, getting opened by grandparents, children and parents, and swapped between cookie vessel and sewing kit. And yet it's a bigger story. Yolanda T. Marshall includes "Cookie Tin Memories" at the conclusion of her story in which educators share their own fond remembrances of cookie tins that held everything from buttons to craft supplies to loose change and even baked goods. (Butter cookies were often housed in these blue tins and Yolanda T. Marshall includes a recipe for them too.) But no one knows what's in the cookie tin until that lid is pried off and the secrets within revealed and share. So, what's in your family's cookie tins?

Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!

Written by Yolanda T. Marshall

Illustrated by Daria Lavrova

Chalkboard Publishing

978-1-771055901

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

2022

 

With Shrove Tuesday on the horizon–March 4 this year–and Christians anticipating Easter, it wouldn't be amiss to review a book I missed when it came out a few years ago. With its charming text and sweet artwork, Hot Cross Buns for Everyone! seems a timely treat of a read.

 

Jackson, a child who loves a yummy hot cross bun, decides to invite his friends to a party for Easter Sunday. With that invitation, all his friends begin their own hot cross bun prep, with adult supervision, of course.  

From Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illus. by Daria Lavrova

Jewel gets her mom to make a big one like her Nonna's cake. Liam's foster parents use his Scottish granda's spicy recipe. Dimitri's father adds the traditional Greek spice mahlepi as well as vanilla. Others add raisins, glaze them with sugar, sprinkle with rainbow colours, or make them dairy- and gluten-free. For some, the version looks a little different like the traditional Jamaican bun and cheese–a sweet loaf bracketing special cheese.

From Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illus. by Daria Lavrova

There are hot cross buns aplenty and more than enough for Jackson's invited guests and all the other school kids and their families. There is so much food to savour that he takes the extras to share with neighbours, a lovely offering for Easter.
 

Easter may not be until April this year but a tasty treat that is shared among friends is never limited to one day a year. And Jackson's love of the bun is a perfect foundation for giving and sharing with community. Yolanda T. Marshall, a well-established Guyanese-born Canadian writer whose books I've only recently discovered, seasons her story of hot cross buns with the flavours of diverse communities and cultures, even sharing a recipe for Spiced Hot Cross Buns–as well as some background information and teaching ideas–at the end of her story. Without overwhelming readers with the varieties of hot cross buns enjoyed across the world, Yolanda T. Marshall lets us see some of the ways they differ, whether through spices and ingredients included or the forms taken. Regardless of their flavours and their presentation, the buns are a source of delight and sweetness, bringing people together to share and appreciate.

From Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illus. by Daria Lavrova

Russian-born illustrator Daria Lavrova, who currently lives in Amsterdam, makes Jackson's Easter party of hot cross buns a joyous and colourful event. From the exuberance of all who bake and partake to the diversity of people and food, Hot Cross Buns for Everyone! becomes a celebration of colour and texture, with the zest that comes from good food shared with generous neighbours.

Everyone came

To eat, laugh, and play!

That's all they did

On Easter day.

The Girl Who Loved Poutine

Written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson

Illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi

Sleeping Bear Press

978-1-534113169

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

2024

A story about poutine, about regional and cultural differences across Canada, and about a family get-together for a birthday on July 1st? It doesn't get much more Canadian than that.

From The Girl Who Loved Poutine, written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Rachel Qiupi

Zoey is looking forward to her fifth birthday, a day on which she will enjoy her favourite food: poutine.

Zoey closes her eyes and imagines . . .
french fries and gravy and squeaky cheese curds.
SQUEAK. SQUEAK. SQUEAK.

From The Girl Who Loved Poutine, written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Rachel Qiupi

Zoey may help her dad make his famous poutine but what she doesn't know is that all the relatives have decided to have a poutine contest to celebrate the special day. And with each entry and tasting by Zoey comes a story and a feeling. There's Aunt Janice's Newfoundland and Labrador poutine with breadcrumbs, onions, and salt meat. For Zoey, it brings back memories of a trip to St. John's and kitchen parties. Aunt Anne and Uncle Liam's PEI poutine has lobster while Aunt Celine's Montreal poutine has smoked bacon, onions and maple syrup.

From The Girl Who Loved Poutine, written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Rachel Qiupi

With each new dish, Zoey gets a different memory, travelling from Newfoundland to Saskatchewan and Yellowknife and elsewhere in Canada and in time with family. Who wins the poutine contest? It's the girl who loves poutine, of course.

From The Girl Who Loved Poutine, written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Rachel Qiupi

Poutine is such a quintessential food from Quebec, though adopted and adapted across Canada and the world. But Lorna Schultz Nicholson doesn't just make this a book about the food–a recipe is included, as are facts about the dish–but she makes it a story of family and Canada. Zoey may love poutine, but she certainly has close bonds with all her family, and their poutines are memory cues for times spent together enjoying the cultures and people of different provinces and territories. It's marvelous that the reader can learn about the various poutines, and the story would be a fabulous lesson starter about the attributes of different Canadian provinces and territories. Lorna Schultz Nicholson may not have intended The Girl Who Loved Poutine to be a teaching prompt for social studies, but wouldn't this be a great way to be introduced to the places and people of Canada?

Toronto's Rachel Qiupi, who appears to blend digital with traditional techniques, ensures that Lorna Schultz Nicholson's story is both lighthearted and informative. From the wonderfully colourful scenes and characters to the detailed poutines–for example, Nona's pasta sauce and the bacon on Aunt Celine's are apparent–Rachel Qiupi establishes an authentic and sunny vibe to The Girl Who Loved Poutine.

Whether you're a teacher or parent who wants to use this story as a lesson starter or just a kid who loves poutine, The Girl Who Loved Poutine will tickle your taste buds and have you longing for squeaky cheese curds, or maybe something else atop your fries.

What's in Alanna's Secret Sauce?

Written by Sarah Jane Conklin

Illustrated by Venus Angelica

Monster House Publishing

978-1-99822-308-4

38 pp.

Ages 6-9

September 2024 

 

I can't think of a better picture book to share for Thanksgiving than What's in Alanna's Secret Sauce?, which will the first book I will have reviewed from New Brunswick's Monster House Publishing. I'm just thankful that I read it this week and was able to get a review out in a timely manner.

From What's in Alanna's Secret Sauce? written by Sarah Jane Conklin, illustrated by Venus Angelica

As a child, Alanna helped her Nan in her garden, sowing seeds and bulbs for tomatoes and onions, garlic and herbs, and more. When they harvested, it was time to bring out the great big pot and start cooking. As their sauce cooks, Alanna is amazed by the aromas, both proud and intoxicated. But the smells that waft from their kitchen drift onto the street and draw neighbours and even strangers to the house. Even before the sauce is done, Nan tells visitors to come back for supper.

More people came to taste the sauce,

Its scent spilled through the town.

Her Nan invited all to dine,

Despite Alanna's frown.

From What's in Alanna's Secret Sauce? written by Sarah Jane Conklin, illustrated by Venus Angelica

They all return, everyone bringing what they are able, whether it be drinks or spaghetti, bread or prayers of thanks. And, miraculously, there is enough for all. 

Later Alanna grows into a chef and holds dear that recipe, but she carries on the traditions of generosity and sharing, having learned that the secret ingredient was not something that had to be picked and chopped or squirrelled away in the pantry.

At 9 years of age, it was all about Alanna and what she wanted, from insisting that all the seeds were hers–"They're all mine!"–as is the sauce–"I picked clean each vine, the sauce is mine, I'll keep it all myself"–to her worry that there wouldn't be enough sauce for her if they shared with others. She couldn't see beyond herself. This isn't unusual for very young children who see everything that happens as it relates to them. Fortunately, Alanna has a very wise Nan who guides her to experience generosity and gratitude by opening her heart and her kitchen to all.

"If everyone would do their part–

Contribute what they're able,

There'll always be enough for all,

If just brought to the table."

Similar to the parable about the fish and the loves, What's in Alanna's Secret Sauce? isn't about cooking or a recipe. It's about feeding masses with very little, all courtesy of a miracle. Nan's pot, even cauldron size, should only feed a limited number of people but, by some marvel, there is plenty. And there always is plenty in our world. People should not be going hungry. Author Sarah Jane Conklin, who currently lives in Nova Scotia but hails from Newfoundland, opens her story with a quote from Bono: "If you want to eliminate hunger, everybody has to be involved." Sarah Jane Conklin takes that sentiment and lodges it at a grass roots level in Nan's kitchen which she opens to everyone and anyone. Her secret sauce may draw them in, but everyone shares something, whether it be food, drink or sentiment, to turn a little sauce into a phenomenon to feel the belly and soul. And it's a lesson she teaches her grandchild by example.

From What's in Alanna's Secret Sauce? written by Sarah Jane Conklin, illustrated by Venus Angelica

I didn't know the work of illustrator Venus Angelica, originally from Toronto and now of Fredericton, but, wow, did she take me into Nan's garden and her kitchen, and even onto the street from which strangers and neighbours alike are drawn in. Her palette of autumnal colours of red, orange, green and yellow reflect the time of the harvest and also the time of Thanksgiving. Moreover, though they are just cooking and eating, there is life in Venus Angelica's art, from the bounce of Alanna's long curly hair to the swirls of aromas wafting from their cooking pot. And there is always goodness in the smiles of those partaking in the sauce to those doing the dishes and especially for Alanna's Nan who gives without reservation.

 

Having recently filled my own kitchen with jars and jars of tomato sauce and salsa, What's in Alanna's Secret Sauce? reminds me of the busyness and creation of good food. But it's the sharing of that food, giving without expectation, that brings the greatest joy and achieves the greatest good. So, this Thanksgiving, give thanks for food and give food to share, so that all have enough. And that's not much of a secret.

The Not-So-Simple Question (A Holly-Mei Book, #3)

Written by Christina Matula

Inkyard Press

978-1-335-00999-9

272 pp.

Ages 8-12

April 2024 

 

Isn't it lovely that we get to visit with Holly-Mei and her friends and family once again? The twelve-year-old who Christina Matula introduced us to in The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei and allowed us to join in her new life in Hong Kong is a little older, well-situated at Tai Tam Prep, and becoming familiar with her new home. But with all those important changes, Holly-Mei is now becoming a teen, and The Not-So-Simple Question is her coming-of-age story.

 

Holly-Mei and her family have now been in Hong Kong for nine months and she is in the last few months of her Grade 7 year. There are lots of important events still to come like Experience Week during which Upper Grade students travel to other Asian locations for a week of learning. It's a great opportunity for Holly-Mei to discover more about her Taiwanese heritage–her mother and Ah-ma, grandmother, are Taiwanese while her father is British–by visiting Taiwan. She's also hoping that it will help her clarify who she is, feeling less than others because of her mixed heritage. And then there's the problem with boys. Her friend Gemma is determined to have an end-of-year prom to which the girls must bring dates. Holly-Mei is obviously well liked by her friends, including Dev and Theo, but, unlike her younger sister Millie who is all about popularity and acting grown-up, Holly-Mei isn't ready for dating, and she doesn't know how to reconcile her feelings with the demands of her friends.

Holly-Mei has a lot on her plate but that is what it often feels like when you are entering your teen years. It's a balance of moving from childhood to adulthood and navigating when and how much you're wanting to change. But coupled with that is Holly-Mei's confusion about her heritage and feeling that others judge her by how she speaks Chinese, who her parents are, and if half of anything is enough for her to be her true self. It's no wonder the girl is feeling on edge and confused. And with Holly-Mei, that uncertainty often leads her to misunderstanding or saying the wrong thing. Thankfully, Holly-Mei's story is in Christina Matula's capable hands, and she ends it with understanding, acceptance, and accord. (And we get to take a wonderful trip to Taiwan to see the sights, the culture, and the food. Always the food!)

The first Holly-Mei book was just recommended by young readers of the Red Maple Forest Kid Committee for their summer reading list and it's nice to know that there are two more books in the series to reach for after you've enjoyed The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei. With The Not-So-Simple Question, we get to see how Holly-Mei has ended her Grade 7 year, after a full year of learning to deal with new friends, with sports competition, with sibling interactions, with misunderstandings, and more. With that learning has come an appreciation for who she is and the kind of person she wants to be. She's still learning to be the best version of herself but she's on the right path, and Christina Matula lets us tag along on Holly-Mei's journey of self-realization and growing up, while enjoying the sights and cultures of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

From The Not-So-Simple Question, written by Christina Matula

• • • • • • •

Holly-Mei Books

The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei (2022)

The Not-So-Perfect Plan (2023)

The Not-So-Simple Question (2024)

• • • • • • •

One Summer in Whitney Pier

Written by The Honourable Mayann Francis

Illustrated by Tamara Thiébaux-Heïkalo

Nimbus Publishing

978-1-77108-960-9

32 pp.

Ages 4-9

May 2022

The Honourable Mayann Francis, Nova Scotia's first Black lieutenant-governor, takes us back to the Cape Breton community of her youth, a place of diversity that gives her the context for her latter vocation. This story takes place two years later from Mayann's First Ride, Mayann Francis's first collaboration with artist Tamara Thiébaux-Heïkalo, and during a 1950s summer which is bountiful with possibilities, even if Mayann doesn't see them at first.

From One Summer in Whitney Pier by Mayann Francis, illus. by Tamara Thiébaux-Heïkalo

With her best friends Eunice and Betty going away, Mayann is faced with filling her time. Though baseball seems a possibility, the Hankard Street Crew tell her she is too young. When she tells her father, a church minister, that there's nothing to do, he suggests she help her mother and him to see how much there really is to do. 

From One Summer in Whitney Pier by Mayann Francis, illus. by Tamara Thiébaux-Heïkalo

There's cooking of her many favourite Caribbean meals, learning to make fudge and soft drinks and baking of cakes and pies to share with neighbours. She helps out at the church, watches her sixteen-year-old sister play baseball, and embroiders. And then she realizes she can combine several of those activities and, with a little help from her friends who return early from holidays, do more good for her community.

From One Summer in Whitney Pier by Mayann Francis, illus. by Tamara Thiébaux-Heïkalo

The Honourable Mayann Francis takes us to a different time and place in One Summer in Whitney Pier. It's a time when summers were not filled with camps, scheduled activities, and tech, and days stretched with opportunities. It's a place where people shared food, and cooking and baking were full-day endeavours. 1950s Whitney Pier was everything to a young Mayann Francis to discover what she could and would enjoy doing and to become a part of something more significant.

That feel to the book also comes from Tamara Thiébaux-Heïkalo's artwork, a blend of pencil and watercolours, giving it a softness appropriate for a nostalgic look at Whitney Pier. The girls wear skirts and white socks, the kids ride their bikes down streets waving to others, and sewing was a skill encouraged in girls. Whitney Pier may not be like that anymore but it gave Mayann Francis a foundation for a life as a public servant and human rights authority and will now give young readers a historical perspective–as well as a couple of recipes–on summers once lived and well spent.

Our Little Kitchen

Written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-262-4

40 pp.

Ages 4-7

September 2020

 

The community kitchen in Our Little Kitchen may be small in size but it's big in heart and because of a mixture of compassion, courage and perseverance, it feeds the world with goodness.

From Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki

 In Our Little Kitchen, author-illustrator Jillian Tamaki takes us into a community kitchen like the one at which she regularly volunteered in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Through rhyming verse, we are invited into the kitchen as a mother and her child arrive to lend their hands.

Tie on your apron!

Roll up your sleeves!

 

Pans are out, oven is hot.

The kitchen's all ready,

 

where do we start?

A wonderful assortment of individuals begin the process of deciding on the day's meal, looking at what they've grown in their garden and preserved, as well as what has been donated to or purchased for their pantry. Though rotting food is discarded, almost everything can be used. Day-old bread is refreshed in the oven, bruised apples cleaned up for apple crumble (recipe provided in the end papers) and a plethora of canned beans offer an opportunity to brainstorm meal choices.

From Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki

Beyond the kitchen, a community starts coming together to catch up on life. So as the hall fills with chatting neighbours, the kitchen staff is frantically bringing food stuffs together into a meal. There's humour ("Those who don't cook don't get to complain!") and panicking ("Just one more sec, please?") but soon a multi-coursed meal with protein-rich chilli, veggies and salad is delivered to an appreciative crowd.

From Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki

There's so much life in Our Little Kitchen, in the kitchen, in the eating hall and in Jillian Tamaki's telling of the story. Though community kitchens vary in their scope, whether helping to alleviate hunger or supporting marginalized groups, there is a boisterous togetherness that comes from working collectively for a common goal. In the dialogue of her characters, the liveliness of her rhyming text, or the bold colours and dynamism of her scenes, Jillian Tamaki lets young readers participate in the worthwhile endeavour of these food gatherings.

From Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki

Start your own discussion about community kitchens with little ones–why they are important and how to get involved– and join Jillian Tamaki's neighbours as they work together to cook and confer, share and nourish. Use their recipes for vegetable soup and apple crumble or use your own to cultivate and nurture a sense of fellowship.

Niam! Cooking with Kids

Inspired by the Mamaqtuq Nanook Cooking Club

Written by Kerry McCluskey

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-255-0

72 pp.

Ages 5-12

December 2019

Any time there is an opportunity to encourage children to learn basic recipes and acquire cooking skills is a chance to help youth become independent, feed themselves and others, and gain confidence in trying new things. For many, the holidays is a great time for cooking with children, whether it is baking cookies as gifts or to have at home for visitors or learning how to work in a kitchen and prepare meals for the family.  The Mamaqtuq Nanook Cooking Club, a weekly after-school program at Nanook School in Apex, Nunavut, kid-tested all these recipes to ensure hearty concoctions that were both tasty and fun to make.

From Niam! Cooking with Kids by Kerry McCluskey

The cookbook provides background on starting a children's cooking club, as well as a glossary of basic terms and measurements. The recipes cover seventeen dishes from smoothies and snacks like sandwiches, mini quiches, and palaugos, to main courses such as chili, bird fingers, jerk chicken, pizza and meatlove. Several sweet treats such as love muffins, and sugar and gingerbread cookies are also included.

From Niam! Cooking with Kids by Kerry McCluskey

Because the Mamaqtuq Nanook Cooking Club is located in Nunavut, there are some ingredients like the recommended seal or muskox meat for the ground meat in meatlove that may be perplexing to readers from away. But that just means that these recipes can be used as opportunities to teach young readers about cultural differences, bringing communities together. Community involvement is a big thing for Kerry McCluskey who finds ways to involve her own community in the club's activities. For example, an Iqaluit resident Joanna Awa talked to the kids about the importance of seals to the Inuit and a portion of this discussion is included with the meatlove recipe. Moreover, no worries if you don't have seal meat or ptarmigan in your freezer–Kerry McCluskey always uses generic ingredients like ground meat or poultry so that anyone can try out these recipes.

From Niam! Cooking with Kids by Kerry McCluskey

When people come together to cook, good things happen. Good food, teamwork, skills development, and confidence are all positive outcomes of cooking with kids. With Niam! Cooking with Kids reinforcing that premise while highlighting the specific efforts of the Mamaqtuq Nanook Cooking Club, children everywhere are encouraged to join these young Nunavut chefs in the kitchen and make a difference in all their lives, one dish at a time.

The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids: Essential Skills and Recipes Every Young Chef Should Know

Written by Pierre A. Lamielle

Familius

978-1-64170-156-3

170 pp.

Ages 8-13

September 2019

As a teacher-librarian, I loved purchasing cookbooks for the school library. Kids love looking at photos of great food, dreaming about sweet desserts and baked goods, and emboldening them to try their hand at some kitchen magic. With Chef Pierre A. Lamielle's newest cookbook, this one for children specifically, they'll get a good start on developing their culinary skills and creating some tasty treats.

More than a recipe book, The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids covers important lessons, all told via quirky illustrations and a group of distinct characters called the Munchy Munchy Bunch which includes Sal, Pepper, Ragu, Ziti, Sage, Rose, and Bean. The first lessons focus on avoiding dangers that involve sharp objects, fire and hot items or sources of germs. From learning how to slice, hinge and saw with a knife, to dealing with burns and fires and avoiding Salmonella, Cyclospora and E. coli, Pierre A. Lamielle's "Safety Pages" are an excellent beginning to this cookbook.

From The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids by Pierre A. Lamielle

While introducing the Munchy Munchy Bunch, Pierre A. Lamielle also presents the basic tastes of salty, bitter, sour, sweet and umami, and makes a case for ketchup–with recipe included–being a balance of all five tastes. (Who knew?)

From The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids by Pierre A. Lamielle

The remaining sections–Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Sweets–focus on basic recipes but always offer up more. From cooking eggs six ways to making jam for breakfast, or preparing soup, salad, or sandwiches for lunch, and serving up schnitzel, butter chicken or pizza with homemade dough, each meal becomes an exploration of ingredients, techniques, history, and culture. The photographs, most of which are double-spreads that extend across the hardy hidden wire o binding (making scanning of the images near impossible for me), are appealing and never unsophisticated. The recipes are for restaurant quality food from the pumpkin pie soup to the soy delicious lettuce wraps, veggie chili with mini cornbread muffins and browneapolitan dessert. For vegetarian to meat-eaters, and those who prefer savoury to sweet or vice versa, everyone's tastes are covered within the recipes of The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids,

From The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids by Pierre A. Lamielle

Calgary's Chef Pierre A. Lamielle, who has appeared on Top Chef Canada and Chopped Canada, has his spoon in a lot of creative bowls from cooking and writing, to illustrating and teaching, all related to art and food. By mixing both here in The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids, Pierre A. Lamielle has found a way to teach and entertain young readers with the promise of developing their culinary skills, of feeding themselves and others, and of making tasty food a source of sustenance and joy.

Baby Cakes

Written by Theo Heras

Illustrated by Renné Benoit

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-030-7

24 pp.

Ages 1-4

October 2017

If Baby Cakes don't sound yummy enough, wait until you see Renné Benoit's illustrations of the children and kitten at play baking.  They are sweet and delightful and wholly scrummy.

From Baby Cakes 

by Theo Heras

 illus. by Renné Benoit

An older sister and little brother, with tuxedo kitten in tow, don their aprons, gather their ingredients and baking utensils and set to work.  Of course there are a few mishaps–there always are in the kitchen–of spilled ingredients but the two little ones seem to know what they are doing.  Measure, sprinkle, cream, wash, wash again, pour, blend, mix, fill and wait.  Except for brief appearances of a parent's hands to help out with a spill and to put the cupcakes in the oven, this story is that of the labours of the children and the kitten.  As should be, there is a tasty treat to imbibe in at tea time.

From Baby Cakes 

by Theo Heras 

illus. by Renné Benoit

Theo Heras, whose first book with Pajama Press Hat On, Hat Off (2016) was also illustrated by the wonderful Renné Benoit, reintroduces the sister and brother, slightly older now and able to take on a baking project with a little help from a parent. But Baby Cakes is still written for the very young, with Pajama Press' trademark padded cover and sturdy pages, and large bold font and simple sentences of only a few words.  I suspect that Baby Cakes could be the first book young children will be able to read themselves as the repeated readings by an older child or adult will enable them to remember the words and learn to match the visual with the sounds.  Learning to bake and read in one charming book.

But like so many picture books, it is the artwork that will captivate children and adults.  Renné Benoit's illustrations capture the innocence and earnestness of the very young and their efforts to undertake what must seem a monumental task.  The seriousness of their efforts does not take away from their delight in the work and the surprises that happen.  With a much-loved kitten, the children are bonded to their task and to each other, cooperating in their efforts and sharing in the fruits of their labours.  It's a warm scene of family that I wish could be experienced in every household.  Hopefully, Baby Cakes will compel that to happen in more.  With the recipes for chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, as well as vanilla frosting, on the endpapers, everyone and anyone can assist young children in baking some yummy delights, with or without a kitten to help.

From Baby Cakes 

by Theo Heras

 illus. by Renné Benoit

youngCanLit for Foodies: Book List

I know that kids love cookbooks and recipe books.  As soon as one cookbook is returned to the school library, perhaps with a chocolate or butter stain, there's a student waiting to take it out. Let's face it: most of us enjoy food.  So, add the pleasure of consumption with experimentation (cooking is a lot like mixing and measuring in a science lab), bonding with your cooking mentor, and reading a book, and you have a terrific sensory experience.

The following books have food or cooking and baking as a integral part of their stories, often providing recipes for readers to try, and teaching about the chemistry and mechanics of growing, preparing and consuming food.  Enjoy this list of youngCanLit for Foodies! 

PICTURE BOOKS

Boy Soup
by Loris Lesynski
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2008

Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog
by Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Rachel Berman
Tundra
24 pp.
Ages 2-6
2009

Community Soup
by Alma Fullerton
Pajama Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2013
Recipe included

The Fragrant Garden
by Day's Lee
Illustrated by Josée Bellemare
Napoleon Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 5-9
2005

The French Fry King
by Rogé
Tundra
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2012
Recipes included

The King's Taster
by Kenneth Oppel
Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
HarperCollins
32 pp.
Ages 4-9
2009

Mile High Apple Pie
by Laura Langston
Illustrated by Lindsey Gardiner
The Bodley Head/Random House Canada
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2004
Recipe included

Miss Wondergem's Dreadfully Dreadful Pie
by Valerie Sherrard
Illustrated by Wendy J. Whittingham
Tuckamore Books
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2011

Mister Dash and the Cupcake Calamity
by Monica Kulling

Illustrated by Esperança Melo

Tundra Books

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

2013

Mr. Emerson's Cook
by Judith Byron Schachner
Penguin
32 pp.
Ages 7-9
2001

My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi
by Filomena Gomes
Illustrated by Ashley Spires
Second Story Press
24 pp.
Ages 5-7
2006

Poetry and Potatoes: A Tale of Friendship, Travels and Recipes
by Troon Harrison
Illustrated by Sue Hellard
Chrysalis Children's Books
32 pp.
2003

Roses Sing on New Snow: A Delicious Tale
by Paul Yee
Illustrated by Harvey Chan
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 5-9
1991

Toads on Toast
by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Colin Jack
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2012

Treasure for Lunch
by Shenaaz Nanji
Illustrated by Yvonne Cathcart
Second Story Press
24 pp.
Ages 4 - 8
2000

Wild Berries
by Julie Flett
Translated by Earl N. Cook
(English and Cree)
Simply Read Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2013

Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year
by Nan Forler
Art by Peter Etril Snyder
Tundra
40 pp.
Ages 8-11
2011
Recipes included





FICTION

The Case of the Missing Deed
by Ellen Schwartz
Tundra Books
189 pp.
Ages 8-12
2011

Everything on a Waffle
by Polly Horvath
Groundwood Books
179 pp.
Ages 8-13
2001
Recipes included

Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival
by Arthur Slade
HarperCollins
224 pp.
Ages 11-14
2008

Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders
by Kevin Sylvester
Key Porter
300 pp.
Ages 10-14
2010

Neil Flambé and the Aztec Abduction
by Kevin Sylvester
Simon & Schuster Canada/Harper Collins Canada
317 pp.
Ages 11-14
2010

Neil Flambé and the Crusader's Curse

by Kevin Sylvester

Simon & Schuster Books for Young People

291 pp.

Ages 8-14

2012

Neil Flambé and the Tokyo Treasure

by Kevin Sylvester

Simon & Schuster

352 pp.

Ages 8-12

2012

One Year in Coal Harbour
by Polly Horvath
Groundwood
216 pp.
Ages 10-14
2012

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings
by Hélène Boudreau
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
208 pp.
Ages 9+
2010 
Recipe included

Real Mermaids Don't Hold Their Breath
by Hélène Boudreau
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
234 pp.
Ages 9+
2012
Recipe included

Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels
by Hélène Boudreau
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
240 pp.
Ages 9+
2013
Recipe included

YOUNG ADULT

Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookery
by Susan Juby
HarperCollins
339 pp.
Ages 13-15
2008

More Than Bread
by Nora Rock
Smith, Bonappétit & Son
205 pp.
Ages 12+
2008

The Opposite of Geek
by Ria Voros
Scholastic Canada
224 pp.
Ages 12+
2013
Recipe included

Recipe for Disaster
by Maureen Fergus
Kids Can Press
256 pp.
Ages 11-14
2009

Way to Go
by Tom Ryan
Orca Book Publishers
224 pp.
Ages 12+
2012

Whatever
by Ann Walsh
Ronsdale Press
200 pp.
Ages 12+
September 2013
Recipes included

Wicked Sweet

by Mar'ce Merrell

Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan imprint)

330 pp.

Ages 14-18

2012

Windfall
by Sara Cassidy
Orca Book Publishers
117 pp.
Ages 10-13
2011










NON-FICTION

The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook
by Kate Macdonald
Illustrated by Barbara Di Lella
Oxford
48 pp.
Ages 8-14
1985, 2003
Recipes included

Burp!: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About Eating
by Diane Swanson
Illustrated by Rose Cowles
Kids Can Press
40 pp.
Ages 10-14
2001

Everything But the Kitchen Sink: Weird Stuff You Didn’t Know About Food
by Frieda Wishinsky and Elizabeth MacLeod
Illustrated by Travis King
Scholastic Canada
112 pp.
Ages 9-12
2008

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook
Retold by Jane Yolen
Recipes by Heidi E.Y. Stemple
Illustrated by Philippe Béha
Tradewind Books
197 pp.
Ages 5-10
2006
Recipes included

Food Fight: A Graphic Guide Adventure
by Liam O’Donnell
Illustrated by Mike Deas
Orca Book Publishers
64 pp.
Ages 11-15
2010

The Good Garden: How One Family Went From Hunger to Having Enough
by Katie Smith Milway
Illustrated by Sylvie Daigneault
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 8-10
2010

How Monkeys Make Chocolate: Foods and Medicines from the Rainforests
by Adrian Forsyth
Owlkids Books
48 pp.
Ages 9-13
1995

Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook
Retold by Jane Yolen
Recipes by Heidi E. Y. Stemple
Illustrated by Sima Elizabeth Shefrin
Tradewind Books
199 pp.
Ages 7-10
2013
Recipes included

The Kids Can Press Jumbo Cookbook
by Judi Gillies and Jennifer Glossop
Illustrated by Louise Phillips
Kids Can Press
256 pp.
Ages 9-13
2000
Recipes included

Native North American Food and Recipes
by Kathryn Smithyman and Bobbie Kalman
Crabtree
32 pp.
Ages 9-11
2006
Recipes included

Pioneer Recipes
by Bobbie Kalman and Lynda Hale
Illustrated by Barbara Bedell
Crabtree
32 pp.
Ages 8-11
2000
Recipes included

Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City
by Hadley Dyer
Annick Press
83 pp.
Ages 9-12
2012

Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm
by Deborah Hodge
Photographs by Brian Harris
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 6-8
2010

Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City
by Deborah Hodge
Photographed by Brian Harris
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 6-8
2011

Who Wants Pizza? The Kids’ Guide to the History, Science & Culture of Food
by Jan Thornhill
Maple Tree Press
64 pp.
Ages 9-13
2010

The Wilderness Cookbook: A Guide to Good Food on the Trail
by Bonnie McTaggart and Jill Bryant
Illustrated by Chum McLeod
Second Story Press
168 pp.
Ages 8+
1999
Recipes included

The World in Your Lunch Box: The Wacky History and Weird Science of Everyday Foods
by Claire Eamer
Illustrated by Sa Boothroyd
Annick Press
121 pp.
Ages 9-12
2012

Bon appétit!