Foodie Books for Kids: Dessert

In April 2009, I shared my thoughts on the darling book Dessert First by Hallie Durand, illustrated by Christine Davenier.  It really was a divinely sweet book, and Davenier's illustrations were pitch-perfect with the whimsy and the humor.  And Simon and Schuster's publicity package was attention-grabbing, for sure.

Fast forward more than a year and I'm now in publishing.  I don't get all the ARCs and review copies from other publishers at work anymore, for the most part...though, if there's a book I'm dying to have I send an email to my counterparts in other houses, begging for a copy (Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly and Jane by April Lindner being my two recent "book begs").

So imagine my surprise when I recently received a package at my home; it was from Simon and Schuster and addressed to Pinot and Prose.  Strange.  Open it up and this is what was inside:

Just Desserts!  The next book in the series.  Isn't that packaging clever?  Designed to look like a bakery package, twine and all.  Here's what was inside the bakery box:

Hardcovers of Just Desserts and Dessert First, along with a paperback copy of Dessert First.

I haven't had the chance to read it yet - can you believe I'm already reading Fall 2011 books?! - but I'm looking forward to it.  And I want to thank Simon and Schuster.  I'm guessing that the book came to me only because of a glitch in the database somewhere...but I'm glad for it.  What a fun treat to receive.

Eat, drink, and get your Just Desserts.

REVIEW: Dessert First by Hallie Durand

Many weeks ago, I had dinner out with my friend Jenny.  When she suggested we eat at The Mermaid Inn, I immediately agreed, as I thought the name was about the corniest, most fun, coolest thing ever.  The food was excellent, and I had the enormous pleasure of having my first raw oysters...It's just like everyone has told me: they taste just like the sea.  Which I consider a huge compliment, saying a food tastes just like the place from wence it came.

 In the course of our conversation, a new children's book came up: Dessert First by Hallie Durand, illustrated by Christine Davenier (S&S, May 2009).  I had read about the publicity package from Fuse #8 so the book was definitely on my radar.  As it turns out, Jenny is friends with the author and was able to hook me  up with a package of my own.  Very sweet, indeed!

 Third-grader Dessert Schneider is part of a food-loving family: her parents own a restaurant called Fondue Paris, which of course serves fondue.  Naturally, Dessert loves all things sweet and chocolate-y.  It is this love for desserts that ultimately gets her in trouble, as she eats her mother's strictly-off-limits Double-Decker Chocolate Bars and has to struggle for redemption.  In the end, of course, Dessert grows up a little, learns a lot, and even gets to enjoy dessert. 

It's impossible to read this book and not use the word "sweet."  Dessert, though a troublemaker in the tradition of Ramona and Clementine, has a good heart and spunky spirit.  There are funny parts and, surprisingly, a number of very poignant moments.  Durand definitely gets girls at this age and infuses Dessert with a healthy dose of independence balanced by a desire to do good.  There was one passage that I particularly loved, but I don't feel right sharing it because it's the very last paragraph in the book...and wouldn't that just dull everyone's enjoyment, reading the last morsel before tasting everything that comes before!  So I'll share this part about Dessert's dog, which made me snort-laugh: "Chunky sleeps on my bed.  He weighs 140 pounds, but I always tell him he is light as a feather because he has a great spirit."  Darling.   

The food descriptions are also rather nice.  Obviously the fondue one really got me going:

I took my skewer and put a big piece of bread on the end. Then I started rolling it in the fondue. When there was lots of cheese wrapped around my bread I took it out. I blew on it three times and put the whole thing in my mouth.

Makes me salivate...which is a necessary quality in a foodie book, of course!  In addition, there is a scene where Davenier's artwork steals the show: when Dessert wakes up in the middle of the night, the Double-Decker Chocolate Bars are calling to her from the refrigerator.  Davenier - in the ARC, anyway - depicts the refrigerator with swirly letters "Deeeessssserrrrrt" rolling from within, beckoning Dessert to take a late-night bite of the bars.  We've all been there, right?  Hilarious.

That's not to say the book isn't without faults.  It's totally my adult brain working here, but I found it somewhat implausible that Dessert's parents would own a restaurant and spend so much time at home - any adult knows what kind of hours anyone associated with restaurants works.  Now will that bother kids?  Not likely.  On that same note, the restaurant has a French theme, complete with a French chef and pastry chef.  But my research confirms that fondue is Swiss, not French (okay, okay, my research was Wikipedia ).  Additionally, the only two people depicted in the restaurant are Gaston (yes, really) and Dominique...but where are the other restaurant players, particularly those of other ethnic origins?  Because as we are all aware, a large portion of most kitchen staffs is not Caucasian.  Again, do I think kids will notice this?  Definitely not.  I realize I'm being nit-picky.  However, the restaurant plays a major part in the whole book so I just kept noticing this stuff over and over again.

Overall, this was a pleasure to read and the title alone has mass kid appeal for 2nd - 4th graders.  Just put it on display and it'll be snatched up!

 Eat, drink, and don't forget dessert!

 

Other reviews:

Abby (the) Librarian

A Year of Reading

Jean Little Library

 

Simon and Schuster's Summer 2008 Preview event

Last Thursday was the summer preview event at Simon and Schuster and, like the last one, the editors shared some exciting upcoming books and invited a hilarious author to speak. The last time was Jon Scieszka – not too shabby! – and this time was Alan Katz, author of Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs (S&S, 2001) and the newly published poetry collection, Oops (McElderry, 2008). Well, I can tell you that Mr. Katz is one of the funniest authors I’ve had the pleasure of listening to – he just had the whole room in stitches, telling such fantastic stories. It was the perfect way to start off the morning.

Demi has a new book coming out, The Magic Pillow (6.3.08). Demi’s work is visually stunning and does not disappoint here. My only concern with Demi’s style is that it lacks some accessibility with children; that’s been my impression, anyway. Has anyone encountered any kids that were really drawn into Demi’s books? Or able to use her books in programs? Just curious… Nevertheless, it’s always a treat to pore over the details and beauty in her books.

What are two things that are sure things to grab kids’ attention? Pirates and penguins, of course. Put them together in one book and you have Uncle Pirate by Douglas Rees, illustrated by Tony Auth (6.3.08). I didn’t get to look at the interior of this one but, at 112 pages, I’m thinking it’ll be a good “boy book” recommendation. According to the editors, a sequel is already planned.

When I saw the cover for Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Steve Jenkins (6.17.08), I sort of felt nonchalant. My initial impression was “there they go again.” Then I mentally kicked my own rear because that’s really no way to think. How can you be blasé about so much talent and gorgeousness? So they’re at it again and there’s nothing ordinary about its fabulousness.

Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman have another “Bear” book coming out, Bear Feels Scared (8.5.08). There really isn’t much else to say about that. The books are enormously popular, and there will definitely be multiple copies purchased for my library system.

Okay, so let me tell you the book I am most excited about. Seriously, this sounds so cool. It’s called Acting Out (6.17.08) and it’s a collection of one-act plays. Every library needs more plays, right? Okay, maybe it’s just Queens… Anyhoo, wait for it…you won’t believe the line-up of Newbery stars: Avi, Susan Cooper, Sharon Creech, Patricia MacLachlan, Katherine Paterson, and Richard Peck. Shazam! All edited by Justin Chanda, publisher extraordinaire. Justin explained to us that he and the authors wanted some way to unify the whole work. So each author picked a single word – six words total – and each author had to incorporate each of those words into their own play. Justin shared the six words, but I don’t remember all of them. I can tell you one of the words, though, because it’s a hard one to forget: “Justin.” Funny, right? I’m real excited about this one.

Yay, another middle-grade graphic novel! More of them, publishers! More! This one is called Chiggers by Hope Larson (6.17.08). It’s a summer camp story centering on female friendships and the growing pains of adolescence.

Andrew Clements book about twins, Lost and Found (7.1.08). He’s a master. Enough said.

Delight! A picture book illustrated by Mark Siegel and written by Lisa Wheeler, Boogie Knights (8.5.08). I love Mark’s style, for one thing. For another thing, having listened to him speak to groups of librarians a couple times, I have no problem admitting I have such a crush on him. He’s incredibly eloquent, artistic, wrote a book with his wife, handsome, and brings graphic novels to all us librarians starving for them – how could you not love him?

The Reminder by Rune Michaels (8.26.08) is possibly the oddest novel I’ve heard of. A girl’s mother dies. She hears her mother’s voice. Then she hears her dad talking to her mom behind a closed door. Yeah, so she finds out that her dad has constructed a robotic head in the likeness of her mom, and he’s been conversing with her! Wha?! So the dad starts dating again and the head disappears…naturally, the girl has a chance to save her mother this time. Totally out there, right? Which naturally means I’m intrigued and longing to read it.

The Fartiste by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, illustrated by Boris Kulikov (6.3.08). Need I say more? This will crack kids up.

Independent Dames by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Matt Faulkner (6.3.08) looked fantastic. Can’t wait to have it in the collection.

Doing a happy dance! Tony DiTerlizzi is coming out with a new middle grade fiction, Kenny and the Dragon! (8.5.08)

Got a galley of Dan Gutman’s new one, Nightmare at the Book Fair (7.29.08) How must it feel to be so universally popular among kids?

S&S is also publishing an intriguing series: 10 Days That Shook Your World (7.1.08). The concept is almost like time travel where you take a single historical figure (Thomas Edison, Anne Frank, and Benjamin Franklin) and you zoom in on the 10 most important days in their life. And on the front of the covers that S&S showed us, it states in big numbers how many days each person lived. Obviously, Anne Frank’s cover is incredibly poignant. This appears to be an exciting addition to the biography genre.

Unfortunately, I can’t report on the Simon Pulse presentation because I had to leave early to get to another meeting. Alas, perhaps next time!

The photos are thanks to Baker and Taylor. Keep in mind that all the covers, pub dates, titles, etc. are based on the information given to me at the time. All subject to change.