A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale by Penny Klostermann

A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale

Penny Parker Klostermann, Author

Ben Mantle, Illustrator

Random House Books for Young Readers, Fiction, Sep. 5, 2017

Suitable for Ages: 3-7

Themes: Fairy Tale, Food, Chef, Baking, Pursuing Dreams, Imagination

Opening: Although William lived in the magical land of fairy tales, he preferred pastries to princesses, kitchens to kingdoms, and recipes to the Royal Reporter.

Book Jacket Synopsis: In the magical land of fairy tales, William doesn’t quite fit in. He’d rather poach pears than pursue princesses, and he values gnocchi over knighthood. . . .

When he stumbles on a delivery of food destined for Fairy-Tale Headquarters (a pumpkin, apples, and a few measly beans), he decides to spice things up and whips the paltry ingredients into delectable dishes. But as you might have guessed, Snow White’s wicked stepmother doesn’t exactly want her magic apple baked and drizzled with caramel.

The team that brought you There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight delivers a hilariously fractured, whipped, and souffléed fairy tale that is chock-full of delicious details and jokes to satisfy every appetite!

Why I like this book:

Today I’m giving a little more book love to A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale. It is a charming and clever take on some beloved fairy tales. William wants to be a chef and changes the fairy tales by using some apples, beans and a pumpkin to create delicious creations for Fairy Tale Headquarters. Instead he cooks up trouble. Now fairy tales must have a happy ending, so William must succeed without compromising his dreams to be a chef. Klostermann’s magical story-telling is original, entertaining and full of mouth-watering food wordplay that will satisfy readers. There is a gentle flow to the text.  Ben Mantle’s colorful illustrations are comical, expressive and will tickle kid’s imaginations.

Penny Parker Klostermann is the author of There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight, also illustrated by Ben Mantle. A love of eating led Klostermann to notice food items in fairy tales. She digested this information and came up with the idea for this story. Visit Klostermann on her website.

Resources: I have reviewed many new books recently that feature cooking themes. It is a great way to encourage kids to help bake gingerbread cookies, an apple dumpling or pumpkin pie.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

About Patricia Tiltonhttps://childrensbooksheal.wordpress.comI want "Children's Books Heal" to be a resource for parents, grandparents, teachers and school counselors. My goal is to share books on a wide range of topics that have a healing impact on children who are facing challenges in their lives. If you are looking for good books on grief, autism, visual and hearing impairments, special needs, diversity, bullying, military families and social justice issues, you've come to the right place. I also share books that encourage art, imagination and creativity. I am always searching for those special gems to share with you. If you have a suggestion, please let me know.

32 thoughts on “A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale by Penny Klostermann”

  3. I’ve been wanting to read this, and your review adds further encouragement. Seems like a true recipe for fun! I especially like that even the jacket expands the notion of kids’ fair. I have fond memories of making gnocchi when my kids were young. They loved the “little pillows”, as they called them. I loved that chopped spinach hid in the dough!

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  4. I just love the idea of a wicked stepmother not wanting her poisoned apple baked and drizzled with caramel. It makes me smile. Penny is a hoot! And these illustrations fit the fractured fairy tale perfectly.

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  9. Tasty! I remember writing a culinary fairy tale for one of Susanna’ Hill’s competitions. I am certain Penny’s tale is fabulous!

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  10. I love how this story and the characters take on their own lives. They hold their own away from the original stories.

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