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**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal
I brought Minette's Feast home from the library because I wanted to introduce my children to Julia. You see, I have been a Julia Child groupie for some time. In fact, I can remember sitting as a young child mystified by the complexities of her demonstrations on her PBS show, and though I wasn't particularly interested in haute cuisine at the time, I was still inexplicably drawn to her voice and stories.
Suzanne Reich gives adults like me a kid-friendly way to introduce Ms. Child to children. Using a cat as a central focus, she weaves a story about Julia's "food revelation" in Paris. How she went from housewife to Cordon Bleu trained chef. How she tried to please Minette, but how Minette remained unmoved by the improvement in Julia's cooking. She was afterall, a cat.
The illustrations in Minette's Feast are lovely. Amy Bates' colors are warm and luscious, and I love, love, love the expressions she gives Julia. They truly show her delight in finding her true calling.
Susanna Reich's writing is fun as well. She captures 'catness' to a T. And I like that she makes it clear that Julia had to struggle to master her craft.
Other things you can point out to children is how in other places and times people live differently than in our country. You can point out and discuss, for example, how for most of the last century that women simply did not normally work outside the home. And you can also explain that even today all mommies (and/or dads) do not necessarily go to a single large shopping center to buy their groceries. They might instead go, like Julia did, to a bakery, and then a butcher, and then a cheese shop.
Suzanne Reich gives adults like me a kid-friendly way to introduce Ms. Child to children. Using a cat as a central focus, she weaves a story about Julia's "food revelation" in Paris. How she went from housewife to Cordon Bleu trained chef. How she tried to please Minette, but how Minette remained unmoved by the improvement in Julia's cooking. She was afterall, a cat.
Sometimes, the "nice old fish lady" at the
marketplace gave Julia luscious fish heads for Minette.
Julia would cook them up in a pot.
Perhaps she'd add a dollop of scrumptious "chicken
liver custard."
Minette might even take a nibble.
But it seemed that mouse and bird were really much preferred.
The illustrations in Minette's Feast are lovely. Amy Bates' colors are warm and luscious, and I love, love, love the expressions she gives Julia. They truly show her delight in finding her true calling.
Susanna Reich's writing is fun as well. She captures 'catness' to a T. And I like that she makes it clear that Julia had to struggle to master her craft.
Other things you can point out to children is how in other places and times people live differently than in our country. You can point out and discuss, for example, how for most of the last century that women simply did not normally work outside the home. And you can also explain that even today all mommies (and/or dads) do not necessarily go to a single large shopping center to buy their groceries. They might instead go, like Julia did, to a bakery, and then a butcher, and then a cheese shop.
I think the cat-and-mouse games will keep everyone interested. There are a few French phrases thrown in. But just enough to make the text interesting.
Would make a lovely and different gift.
Would make a lovely and different gift.
Pam T
Somewhere in the X-burbs
Minette's Feast
The Delicious Story Of Julia Child And Her Cat
by Suzanne Reich and Amy Bates, illustrator
Reading Information:
Word Count: 1,624
Page Count: 40Accelerated Reading level: 5.1 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 152229
- Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers (2012)
- ISBN-10: 1419701770
- sample pages available
Older readers might also be interested in this longer book about Julia Child and her cats (apparently the year for such things) --Julia's Cats: Julia Child's Life in the Company of Cats -- by Patricia Barey and Therese Burson.
- Hardcover: 145 pages
- Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
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