Little Chef by Matt Stine and Elisabeth Weinberg - OPTIONAL

Little Chef by Matt Stine and Elisabeth Weinberg, illustrated by Paige Keiser. PICTURE BOOK. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2018. $18. 9781250091697

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL.

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This book is told in the first person by a narrator named Lizzy who loves to cook. She has cooked since she was a little girl and now her grandma is coming to visit and Lizzy wants to make the perfect meal for her. Walking through the steps of cooking day, from eating a big breakfast to going to the farmers market to smashing the potatoes. The big moment of the book is when Lizzy must decide what secret ingredient to add to her grandma’s recipe and it turns out she picks well and the meal is a hit. 

I love that this book has a recipe for the meal she is cooking in the back. I also love that this book highlights a talent that isn’t always obvious to young readers; so many books are about dancing or sports, that it is nice to have other hobbies depicted. Beyond this, the story is a little vanilla and the illustrations, done in an old comic book style (not in strips, just the illustration style), won’t be immediately eye-catching. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher