Julia, Child. Kyo Maclear. Pictures by Julie Morstad. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2014. 32 pp., hardcover & epub, $19.99 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-77049-449-7 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-77049-450-3 (epub). Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7. Review by Courtney Novotny. **** /4

excerpt:

1. Some friends are like sisters.

1. You can never use too much butter.

1. It is best to be a child forever!

One day, Julia and Simca had an idea of how to fix things for themselves and the grown-ups they knew. They would make recipes for growing young.

Each day for a week, they worked on their dishes. They cooked extra slowly to bring out the flavor of not hurrying. They used delicate spices so that worries would disappear and wonders would rise to the surface.

When they were ready, they set a beautiful table, making sure the flowers were fresh and all the cups were full.

As the savory scent of cooking wafted through the streets, a curious crowd began to gather. Soon, all sorts of big, busy people wanted a place at the table.

Julia and Simca are best friends who love to cook French food a la Julia Child and experiment in the kitchen. They believe being a child is the best thing a person can be and decide that the world would be a better place if adults remembered the carefree and inspiring parts about childhood. They devise a plan to encourage adults to be a little more childlike and decide to hold a delicious feast with their own special recipes for growing young.

      To be "taken with a grain of salt and perhaps even a generous pat of butter", the story is very loosely based on the life of the real cooking sensation, Julia Child, and is a delightful tale to share with readers of all ages. Young chefs will enjoy the culinary-themed story, and most will delight at the humour and creativity of the story. Julia and Simca are wise beyond their years and self-starters, and their genuine creativity, problem-solving, and independence make them inspiring picture book role models.

      Julie Morstad has made excellent use of colour and black and white to contrast the childlike from the adultlike. Her usual whimsical style is in full swing and suits the story well. Children will enjoy poring over the carefully detailed illustrations, and readers of all ages will appreciate Morstad's artistic talent. The inside of the book jacket is a surprise poster which makes for a nice keepsake and reminder to enjoy the little things in life and to not grow up too fast.

Highly Recommended.

Courtney Novotny is a Children, Teens, and Families Librarian at Calgary Public Library.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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