14-16 Three Jamie Oliver Board Books

14. Board Book: Let's Make Pizza. Jamie Oliver. Illustrated by Adrian Johnson. 2025. 14 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board book, cooking, food]

First sentence: Are you read? Let's start with...puff pastry. Roll, roll. Tomato sauce. Swirl, swirl.

Jamie Oliver has written a handful of board books for the youngest audience. Super, super, super simple text. Basic instructions. Each two-page spread of the board book features a flap to unfold that continues the recipe. (Rolling, swirling, etc.) So one page ingredient, second page, activity.

The illustrations are super bright and bold.

This one is Let's Make Pizza. It was an enjoyable board book.




15. Board book: Let's Make Pancakes. Jamie Oliver. Illustrated by Adrian Johnson. 2025. 14 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board book, cooking, food]

First sentence: Are you ready? Let's start with....flour. Tip, tip. Egg. Crack, crack. Milk. Whisk, whisk.

Jamie Oliver has written a handful of board books for the youngest audience. Super, super, super simple text. Basic instructions. Each two-page spread of the board book features a flap to unfold that continues the recipe. (Rolling, swirling, etc.) So one page ingredient, second page, activity.

The illustrations are super bright and bold.

This one is Let's Make Pancakes. It was an enjoyable board book.



16. Board book: Let's Make Pasta. Jamie Oliver. Illustrated by Adrian Johnson. 2025. 14 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board book, cooking, food]

First sentence: Are you ready? Let's start with...tomatoes and garlic. Crush, crush, squish, squish. Basil. Pick, pick.


Jamie Oliver has written a handful of board books for the youngest audience. Super, super, super simple text. Basic instructions. Each two-page spread of the board book features a flap to unfold that continues the recipe. (Rolling, swirling, etc.) So one page ingredient, second page, activity.

The illustrations are super bright and bold.

This one is Let's Make Pasta. It was an enjoyable board book.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers

23. Watercress

Watercress. Andrea Wang. Illustrated by Jason Chin. 2021. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: We are in the old Pontiac, the red paint faded by years of glinting Ohio sun, pelting rain, and biting snow.

Premise/plot: A young girl is embarrassed by her parents--her immigrant parents. How "embarrassing" to have them stop the car, get out, and pick watercress from the ditch! Why couldn't her parents be "normal"? But though she may not "like" picking watercress, and may not exactly "like" the taste of watercress, she comes to a better appreciation of where her parents are coming from and what memories they may have from the past. 

My thoughts: I liked this one. I did. This one won the Caldecott Medal in 2022 as well as being a Newbery Honor book. I absolutely loved, loved, loved, loved, LOVED the illustrations. Every single spread was just WOW for me. I loved turning pages and seeing the story unfold. It was a beautiful book. I appreciated the text, but, the text to me wasn't as 'wow'. I do think it's good for sharing if you are looking for books about families, traditions, and food. (Soul Food Sunday was another recent read.) And I do think it is relatable.

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers

22. Soul Food Sunday

Soul Food Sunday. Winsome Bingham. Illustrated by C.G. Esperanza. 2021. 48 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: On Sundays, everyone gathers at Granny's for soul food.

Premise/plot: This picture book celebrates a young boy's first lesson in cooking soul food. Though soul food had been a part of his life forever (presumably). This Sunday, he's deemed old enough to join his Granny in the kitchen. He is helping and observing. Many members of the family are taking part in the cooking and preparing of the meal.

My thoughts: Definitely enjoyed this one! It is going to be quite a meal they share together. And anticipation builds with each spread. The book celebrates family, fellowship, traditions, food and cooking, and growing up. I thought the narration was great.

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers

159. Otter: Best Cake Ever

Otter: Best Cake Ever. Sam Garton. 2021. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Today is Teddy's birthday. We are baking a cake. Shh! Don't tell Teddy. What kind of cake would Teddy like?

Premise/plot: Otter wants to celebrate--really CELEBRATE--Teddy's birthday right. And that, of course, means CAKE. Can Otter (and friends) make Teddy a cake??? Will their party be a success???

My thoughts: I don't remember reading other Otter books in the past. But if this book is any indication, I've been missing out. The book is super playful and a bit ambiguous. There's Otter and Otter Keeper, but then there's Otter's friends too....they appear to be toys....just toys, only toys. But not to Otter. To Otter his friends are just as involved in making and baking (and eating) the cake as he is. It's a fun, playful, imaginative book. I liked it.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

148. Jazz for Lunch

Jazz for Lunch! Jarrett Dapier. Illustrated by Eugenia Mello. 2021. [September] 48 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Struttin' with Auntie Nina
down to a club,
We're gonna hear some music
and then eat some grub.

Premise/plot: Jazz for Lunch! celebrates jazz music, food, and family. Auntie Nina and her nephew have a special relationship. She shares her love for cooking and her love for JAZZ with her young nephew...teaching him both how to cook and how to appreciate jazz.

This book--entirely written in rhyme--starts with the two going to a jazz club. But it also has the two going to her place to cook a great meal (while listening to jazz).

Jazz for LUNCH!
The beats got SOUL!
Jazz for LUNCH!
Ham on a ROLL!
Jazz for LUNCH!
The tunes got swing!
Jazz for LUNCH!
Shout, dance, and sing!

(Jazz for lunch being the refrain carried throughout the picture book.)

My thoughts: This book celebrates so many things. Yet it never seems too busy. It feels natural--right. The end papers--if you pay close attention--can serve as an introduction to readers of all ages of some jazz legends.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

5. The Great Cookie War

The Great Cookie War. Caroline Stellings. 2021. [April] 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: At night when darkness fell, and the winter winds swept across the open meadow, the wild things would come to the edge of the clearing. Mama left scraps for them; she said they were searching, always searching. At such an hour, our fieldstone house felt safe, and warm—a refuge, an island of light and love in a cold sea of darkness. And yet, at such an hour, so many things crept into my mind, uninvited thoughts, thoughts I didn’t want to have.

Premise/plot: The Great Cookie War is set in a Canadian Mennonite community in the early 1980s. Beth Betzner, our twelve year old heroine, LONGS to be an artist. But her creative hobby isn't always--often is not--appreciated by her immediate family. There are many skills that help with one's duty within the community--but drawing, sketching, painting aren't seen as super valuable. Even if her family supported her art habit, the family couldn't pay for her art supplies and lessons. But an opportunity presents itself to Beth--and the rest of the family--when a New York lawyer comes to town one winter. 

A cookie war is coming. Yes, a COOKIE war. Two big-name companies are getting ready to battle it out in the court system. Does one company's patent on both a crispy/chewy cookie prevent the other company from making its cookie?. The big city lawyer says NO. Chewy/crispy cookies have existed for centuries and can't be patented. The proof may be in this OLD family recipe book in the possession of the Betzner family. 

The problem? The family does NOT want to loan out the book to either side. The family does NOT want to appear in court for either side. Money is not the issue. Far from it. But Beth is tempted....especially when out and out offered the chance to fulfill her dream. 

Who will win the great cookie war?

My thoughts: I really LOVED this one. There are plenty of Mennonite (and/or Amish) books published for adults--usually romances. There are hardly any children's books starring Mennonites (and/or Amish) characters. This one is a COMING OF AGE book with some ADVENTURE thrown in. Will Beth, our heroine, be courageous when put to the test? 

I also LOVED that it is based on a true story. 

In a Globe and Mail article from 1985, June Callwood called it “The Great Cookie War.” For cookbook author Edna Staebler and her Old Order Mennonite friends in Waterloo, the whole thing was foolishness! The recipe for rigglevake cookies had, after all, been scribbled in Bevvy Martin’s little black book for decades. Why all the fuss now? When it was published in Edna’s bestselling and world-famous Food That Really Schmecks, no one could have known the brouhaha that one little recipe could create. But it did.

The situation began eleven years after Schmecks had been published. Procter and Gamble (P&G) had put eighteen million dollars into bringing a new cookie to market, one that would be crispy on the outside, but chewy in the middle. They patented their secret recipe in 1979. When rival Nabisco began baking similar cookies, P&G sued for infringement of copyright. And both sides were desperate to get their hands on that little black recipe book. Why? Because it was from that book that Edna Staebler copied the recipe for rigglevake cookies, and rigglevake cookies are crispy and chewy at the same time. And since the recipe was published in Schmecks, Nabisco argued that P&G had no case.

Through it all, Edna Staebler fiercely protected her Mennonite friends and eschewed offers from radio and television stations—she even declined the chance to appear on the Jay Leno show. Caroline Stellings kept up a personal correspondence with the cookbook author, and was so impressed by her charismatic personality, that she always knew that one day, she would write a book about Edna Staebler and her involvement in “The Great Cookie War.”

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

1. Two for Me, One For You

Two for Me, One For You. Jorg Muhle. 2019. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [Picture Book]

First sentence: On her way home, Bear found three mushrooms.

Premise/plot: Bear and Weasel both love, love, love mushrooms. So when Bear brings three mushrooms home, both are excited—but not excited to share. Bear thinks she should get two mushrooms since she found them. Weasel thinks he should get two mushrooms because he cooked them. Will these two friends stay friends if they can’t agree on what’s fair?!?!

My thoughts: This one was recently translated into English. I am not sure if many little ones would understand why anyone would fight over mushrooms!!! But all ages can relate to conflicts and fights over sharing and what is “fair”.

I love, love, love mushrooms. I do. I have had many many many conflicts over dividing up mushrooms fairly. I feel I have lived out this one! I think this story would get two thumbs up from any hobbit!!!

Text: 5/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Total:10/10 

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Chicks and Salsa

Chicks and Salsa. Aaron Reynolds. Illustrated by Paulette Bogan. 2005. Bloomsbury. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: There were grumblings in the henhouse of Nuthatcher Farm. The chickens were tired of chicken feed. The rooster took it upon himself to solve this problem. Mrs. Nuthatcher, the farmer's wife, had started watching cooking shows in the afternoons. The rooster was perched on a fence post outside the farmhouse window when he discovered the solution to his problem...salsa!

Premise/plot: Things at Nuthatcher Farm are about to get SPICY. It all begins with chickens who are BORED with their chicken feed. But this discontent soon spreads far and wide...will the Rooster be able to keep saving the day?!

My thoughts: I absolutely LOVED this one. I did. It was cute and funny. I loved the narration, the writing.

Led by the rooster, the chickens crept into the garden, where they took tomatoes and uprooted onions. That night, the chickens ate chips and salsa--though nobody was quite certain where the chickens got the chips. The tasty tang of tomatoes and onions hung over the barnyard. And the rooster said, "Olé!" 

This is a treat of a book.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Mimi's Adventures in Baking Gingerbread Men

Mimi's Adventures in Baking Gingerbread Men. Alyssa Gangeri. Illustrated by Chiara Civati. 2015. 38 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "Mimi, time to wake up!" Mimi peeked out the window and saw..."SNOW! MOM! It's a snow day!" She yelled as she rushed downstairs.

Premise/plot: A little girl bakes gingerbread cookies with her grandmother on a snowy winter's day.

My thoughts: Baking can be fun. And few things are more fun for a child than baking with a beloved adult. In this case, it's NONNI. Simple baking techniques are shown in this one.

Overall, I liked this one. The story is the most thrilling but it does try to capture the joy of an experience that actually is thrilling.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10 

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Mimi's Adventures in Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mimi's Adventures in Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies. Alyssa Gangeri. Illustrated by Chiara Civati. 2015. 38 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Mimi dreamed of fluffy clouds of flour floating over mountains of chocolate chips with untouched ski slopes of sugar...when she woke up, Mimi knew exactly what she wanted to do. "Nonni, can we please bake chocolate chip cookies? I've been dreaming about the ingredients all night!" Nonni pulled out her giant cookbook and they searched for the recipe.

Premise/plot: A little girl bakes chocolate chip cookies with her grandmother. There is a light story driven by the recipe and the baking process.

My thoughts: Baking can be fun. And few things are more fun for a child than baking with a beloved adult. In this case, it's NONNI. Simple baking techniques are shown in this one. For example, how to read a recipe, how to measure, how to mix, how to crack an egg, etc.

Mimi measured 1 cup of chocolate chips and poured them in a bowl. Then she measured a 1/2 cup. "Now we need 3/4 cup of granulated sugar," said Nonni. "Three of these?" asked Mimi with a 1/4 cup measure in hand. "Yes, three of those." 

Overall, I liked this one. The story is the most thrilling but it does try to capture the joy of an experience that actually is thrilling.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10


© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Man Who Cooked For Himself

The Man Who Cooked For Himself. Phyllis Krasilovsky. Illustrated by Mamoru Funai. 1981. Parents Magazine Press. 42 pages. [Source: Bought]

 First sentence: There once was a man who lived with his cat in a little house on the edge of a wood. He didn't have a wife or children so he always cooked his own supper, cleaned the house by himself, and made his own bed. The man didn't even have a car or a telephone. But he had a friend who visited him every few days bringing him the things he needed.

Premise/plot: What will happen to 'the man' when his friend goes on a summer vacation for three weeks? The friend brings over one last bunch of groceries before he leaves. But will the man's list be thorough enough? long enough?

My thoughts: It's a strange little book. But a strangely charming little book at that. Is it realistic? Yes and no. When the man is hungry and desperate for food, he happens upon a pond where he can fish, wild blueberries, an apple tree, an oak tree, and some watercress. With just a paperclip and some string he catches four fish. As the story went on, the illustrations became hilarious. Readers see the man bent over picking up apples--apples stuffed into his pockets until they're bulging. The man--in the end--learns a valuable lesson about laziness--DON'T--and on how to live off the land.

Text: 3.5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3.5 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers