Review: Cookies: Bite-size Life Lessons

This little picture book came in a package from HarperCollins. I looked at the title and thought, “Cookies? Okay — so what about cookies?” Then I saw the sub-title and paged through it, thinking, “What a fabulous concept!” It’s one of those books that makes every author say, “I wish I’d thought of that!”

Cookies: Bite-size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Jane Dyer (HarperCollins, 2006) is one of the best concept books I’ve seen in some time. On each page, cookies are used as a familiar vehicle to teach important lessons about life: concepts such as “fair” and “unfair,” what “respect” means, and what “courageous” and “honest” look like. Here’s a sampling:

Cooperate means, How about you add the chips while I stir?

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.

The text is simple, but the lessons sublime, each a tasty bite of knowledge to help youngsters understand important values. The watercolor illustrations are sweet, depicting a colorful fantasy world where children interact with well-dressed, sentient animals.

This little book would be a fabulous gift from grandparents. It would be a great Sunday school reading, for though there are no overt religious messages, the values expressed are universal and presented in an easy-to-digest form. Kindergarten and primary teachers will appreciate the simplicity of the message, and might have their own student create more cookie lessons, or create their own illustrations of the concepts in the books. And of course parents will find this a calming book for bedtime reading.

All in all, Cookies: Bite-size Life Lessons gets top marks from me.