Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons

Beautifully rendered kitchens and streetscapes, gardens and backyards in sun-kissed colors pile on the charm.

PreS-Gr 2 -Using the activity of making and eating cookies, the author defines some important concepts for young children, such as respect, trustworthiness, patience, politeness, loyalty, etc. The book begins: -COOPERATE means, How about you add the chips while I stir? - and continues with one definition per page. For example, -FAIR means, You get a bite, I get a bite -&. -; -REGRET means, I really wish I didn -t eat so many cookies -; and -CONTENT means sitting on the steps -just you, me, and a couple of cookies. - Lovely pastel watercolor illustrations show appealing children and anthropomorphic animals interacting with one another and the treats. Although books dealing with this type of subject tend to be didactic and preachy, the utilization of the cookies to explain the concepts is a brilliant idea and works well on a child -s level. The text is short and clear, and the book is delightful to look at and browse through. This is a good choice for one-on-one reading or to start an interesting class discussion." -Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA" Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Cookies provide the vehicle for Rosenthal's ("Little Pea") deliciously charming collection of defined and illustrated vocabulary words that serve as gentle guides to etiquette. Dyer's ("Time for Bed") scenes of old-fashioned kitchens and balmy outdoor picnics create a feeling of nostalgia, while the cast of multi-ethnic children and their assorted animal friends provides a balancing contemporary feel. Vocabulary words appear, one or two per page, in bold capital letters; definitions follow in lower case, and each term warrants its own illustrations. ""Cooperate "means, How about you add the chips while I stir?," the book begins. The accompanying full-page watercolor, on the opposite page, features a curly-topped redhead stirring batter, while the bunny and dog at either side add chocolate chips (all three sport white aprons). Words such as Patient, Proud, Modest and Respect are defined in straightforward, cookie-related terms that children of all ages will comprehend. For example, ""Trustworthy "means, If you ask me to hold your cookie until you come back, when you come back, I will still be holding your cookie." Three vertical panels illustrate a horse entrusting his cookie to an Asian girl, putting on his coat and leaving; the next full-page painting shows the girl still stoically resisting temptation when the horse returns. Dyer's art finely complements the simple yet profound wisdom that flows throughout Rosenthal's inspired text. This story is likely to have a multi-generational appeal. All ages. "(May)" Copyright 2006 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

"Irresistible cast of characters. Beautifully rendered."—Kirkus Reviews