2014, Juvenile Fiction
WISE Score
Two young friends decide that 'too much butter' is the secret to staying young and avoiding the boring, busy life of grown-ups.
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A visual and narrative treat that captures the 'joie de vivre' of Julia Child without getting bogged down in dates and facts. It's a book about the importance of play, the magic of a shared meal, and the radical idea that adulthood doesn't have to be a drag.
If you have a kid who loves to help you in the kitchen—or one you wish would help you in the kitchen—this is a top-tier addition to the bookshelf. It’s short, sweet, and will almost certainly result in a request for a croissant.
Perfect for the 4-8 crowd. It's a sophisticated enough picture book that older kids (up to 10) who appreciate art or have started to show interest in the kitchen will still find it charming.
It is a glowing celebration of friendship and the sensory joy of cooking. It champions the idea that childhood wonder is something worth protecting even as you grow up.
The book takes the real life of Julia Child and spins it into a whimsical 'what-if' story, using cooking as a metaphor for creative living and staying curious.
It is a picture book about making food and being a kid. The only 'danger' here is a potential mess in your kitchen if your kid gets inspired to start whisking.
It introduces kids to a culinary icon and the concept of French cooking in a way that feels like a game, not a history lesson. It encourages slow living and savoring experiences.
Most 'biography' picture books for kids follow a very predictable path: child is born, child faces obstacle, child becomes famous, here is a timeline. Julia, Child tosses that recipe out the window. Instead, Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad have created something that feels more like a fable. By depicting Julia and her friend Simca (a nod to the real-life Simone Beck) as children who are already masters of the kitchen, it meets kids exactly where they are—in the world of play.
Julie Morstad’s art is the secret ingredient here. It’s delicate, stylish, and full of small details that reward a second or third read. The way she draws the 'big, busy people'—gray, hurried, and slightly blurred—perfectly contrasts with the vibrant, buttery world of the two girls. It’s one of those rare books that feels like a 'gift book' but actually gets read because the story holds up.
We talk a lot about literacy in terms of words, but food literacy is a huge part of a kid's development too. This book frames the kitchen as a place of experimentation and joy rather than a place where you just wait for nuggets to be ready. It’s a great companion to an afternoon of actual baking. Just be prepared: the book is very pro-butter, so you might want to have a stick at room temperature before you start reading.
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