Review by Booklist Review
Emily Snook may be small, but her aspirations are large. She learns to cook from her grandpa, who shows her how flavors and spices from all over the world can be combined to make culinary magic. When she enters a kids' cooking contest, she quickly realizes she's the smallest contestant. At first, nothing goes right. Emily can't reach the counter, and her opponents laugh at her mistakes. Ready to give up, she spots Grandpa in the audience rooting her on. Emily suddenly uses her smallness to her advantage. She catches sight of secret spices on a low shelf, makes herself a stool out of crusty bread, and begins to mix her magic. This is a wonderful story about persistence and perseverance. Salin's illustrations incorporate racial and cultural diversity and the sweet relationship between Emily and Grandpa, while savory ingredients will set mouths watering. The text's rhythmic, rhyming sentences make for a fun read-aloud. This flavorful story about a small girl packs a big punch.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--Emily Snook has been a cook since the age of two, when her grandfather began teaching her the culinary arts and preparing foods from many different countries. When a cooking contest is announced for kids, Emily consults Grandpa about whether she's too small to join, and he assures her she's not. But when contest day arrives, Emily discovers she is not only the smallest, but she has to use the cooking utensils provided, which are way too big for her little hands. Even reaching the counter is a challenge for her. She truly begins to doubt if she has what it takes to create the soup, mac and cheese, and sorbet that are required for the contest. A reminder from her grandfather--"Believe in yourself"--is just what Emily needs to keep going. Emily and her grandfather have dark skin, while other characters are presented with various skin tones. One of the child contestants is shown wearing a hijab. Colorful digital and acrylic illustrations fill the majority of every page. VERDICT A delightful message-in-rhyme makes for a fun read-aloud for anyone who's ever wondered if they have what it takes to accomplish a goal.--Tracy Cronce
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A small child learns that persistence pays off. Grandpa has cooked with Emily since she was 2. He urges her to enter a cooking contest for kids but fails to notice the fine print: "Advanced Competition." Emily is waist-high to the others but "tall with ambition." The contest is irresponsibly unmonitored: She's provided with inadequate leftover tools, must wear a too-big apron that she trips over, and is left at eye level with a boiling pot. Disasters befall each prescribed dish; improbably, the roux catches fire inside the pot. Emily is ready to quit until she spots Grandpa's balloon with its slogan: "Believe in Yourself!" Somehow she has time to clean up, build a stool out of stale bread, and cook three new dishes, including a 10-minute sorbet, using "secret" spices she finds on a low shelf. Of course, she wins the gold cup. The other contestants instantly switch from sneering to magnanimity. The story is inspiring, if predictable, with an implausibly sunny outcome; the four-beat verses and cheery color art are palatable. Emily has brown skin and short curly black hair in two yellow-tied side-bunches, while Grandpa is brown-skinned and bald, with side tufts of gray hair. The other contestants are racially diverse. Seasoning with bright colors helps balance the added sugar in this can-do confection.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
