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Description
Join a mother and her children for their weekly baking ritual in this touching story that celebrates the act of baking, eating bread, and sharing it with family.
Bread is many things. It is simple, made with just flour, salt, starter, and water. It is science, where the right ingredients make the dough grow and change. It can even be unpredictable—sometimes rising like a soft pillow, other times flat and crunchy.
But bread is always delicious, especially when it is made with love. Warm, tender illustrations bring this heartfelt celebration of family traditions to life.
Publication date
February 10, 2026
Genre
Fiction
Page Count
32
ISBN-13
9781250906885
Publisher
Roaring Brook Press
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General JUV050000 - Juvenile Fiction | Cooking & Food
School Library Journal
Starred Review
A mother with two young children makes bread each week. Every loaf teaches the children a life lesson: the bread can be moody and sometimes doesn't turn out the way the children had hoped; the loaves can come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors, but they're always delicious; bread takes time and can't be rushed; bread-baking is a science but sometimes it's a mess. All the interactions of the characters are kind and loving, even when things go awry. Makhuani's text includes lots of sensory words, making the process of baking inviting; Naidu's warmly colored artwork glows with love and affection. This is a lovely, gentle discussion of baking as a means for learning; it might inspire readers to fire up the oven, with back matter that includes a bread recipe.
Copyright 2026 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review
A mother and two young children bake a loaf of bread from scratch in this satisfying picture book portrait of a family ritual that feeds bellies, minds, and spirits. Through the eyes of the older child, PW contributor Makhijani (Mama's Saris) takes readers stepwise through a hands-on day of bread-making (and learning), the parent's instructions guiding the process (\"Mama says bread is simple. It has four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and starter, which helps it rise\"). As the stages proceed, sensate text offers descriptions of what the leavened food symbolizes. A mention of measuring ingredients by the gram attends the idea that \"Bread is science,\" and as the children wait for the dough to rise, \"Bread is patience,\" too. The baking project's rhythms also echo those of the children, who at times prove \"moody\" or needful of rest. And even when the loaf turns out flat, Mama reminds, \"Bread is delicious.\" Luminous, close-textured scenes from Naidu (Home Is in Between) conjure a cozy, sun-drenched kitchen and a loving, flour-spattered family in a work that models collaborative, resilient care. Characters read as South Asian. An author's note and bread recipe conclude.
Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
Starred Review
A warmhearted story about togetherness and baking as a labor of love.
Pooja Makhijani is a writer, mother, and baker. She is the author of the picture books Mama’s Saris and Bread Is Love, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Teen Vogue, and Bon Appétit among others. She holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Sarah Lawrence College, and Rutgers University and has twice been in residence at SPACE on Ryder Farm. She lives in Central New Jersey with her daughter. Visit her online home at poojamakhijani.com to learn more.
