Category Archives: Cookie recipes
Baptiste Paul: Will Write for Cookies PLUS Giveaway
WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES
INSIGHT – INSPIRATION – INFORMATION
FOR WRITERS
TODAY’S GUEST
BAPTISTE PAUL
In 2016, I attended the Wild Wild West SCBWI conference in Chicago and got to meet our Will Write for Cookies guest. His wife, our own Miranda Paul, was signing some of her books and I had a chance to chat with Baptiste. I don’t know if he will remember…I’ll have to ask him. But we talked about books and families and it was lovely. And when I discovered he had a debut picture book coming out in March, I knew I wanted to have him stop by to share some of his journey with us.
Baptiste Paul is a man of many talents—from woodworking to gardening to entertaining hoards of children for hours on end. Born and raised in the Caribbean (Saint Lucia), Baptise is a native Creole/Patois speaker and enjoys roasting his own coffee and chocolate. Baptiste holds Degrees in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Bucknell University and currently resides with his family in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His debut picture book, THE FIELD, launched on March 6, 2018.
Welcome, Baptiste! Thank you so much for stopping by to visit with us. I’ve got a bunch of questions and we’d all love to hear your answers, so let’s get started. Read the rest of this entry
Perfect Picture Book Friday: Mountain Chef PLUS Giveaway
Life is pretty hectic around here…my husband has been having heart issues and they are doing a cardiac catherization at Mass General in Boston today…which is where I am right now!
But I didn’t want to miss Perfect Picture Book Friday…especially since the author of this book is going to be our guest on Will Write for Cookies tomorrow. I’m reprising the review of her amazing nonfiction picture book that I featured last year because it’s a fabulous mentor text for all of my pb writer friends, because it’s a great read for young kids, and because next month it will be awarded the National Council of Social Studies’ Carter G. Woodson Award. Here’s the link.
MOUNTAIN CHEF: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service
Written by Annette Bay Pimentel
Illustrated by Rich Lo
Publisher: Charlesbridge (2016)
Ages: 5-9
Themes:
Discrimination, conservation, National Parks, cooking, ingenuity
Synopsis:
From Amazon:
The true story of a Chinese American mountain man who fed thirty people for ten days in the wilderness–and helped inspire the creation of the National Park Service.
Tie Sing was born in the mountains. The mountains were in his blood. But because he was of Chinese descent at a time in America when to be Chinese meant working in restaurants or laundries, Tie Sing’s prospects were limited. But he had bigger plans. He began cooking for mapmakers and soon built a reputation as the best trail cook in California.
When millionaire Stephen Mather began his quest to create a national park service in 1915, he invited a group of influential men—writers, tycoons, members of Congress, and even a movie star—to go camping in the Sierras. Tie Sing was hired to cook.
Tie Sing planned diligently. He understood the importance of this trip. But when disaster struck—twice—and Tie Sing’s supplies were lost, it was his creative spirit and quick mind that saved the day. His sumptuous menus had to be struck and Tie Sing had to start over in order to feed the thirty people in the group for ten whole days. His skills were tested and Tie Sing rose to the challenge.
On the last night, he fed not just the campers’ bodies, but also their minds, reminding them to remember and protect the mountains.
2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, created by Congress on August 25, 1916.
Today, you can hike to Sing Peak, named for Tie Sing, in Yosemite National Park.
Opening Lines:
Tie Sing was a frontier baby, born high in the mountains in Virginia City, Nevada. Growing up, he breathed crisp Sierra air and scuffed through sagebrush. He learned to write in both English and Chinese.
Why I like this book:
- I love unknown gems of history uncovered by writers who weave great picture book stories for kids.
- This story has so many different levels…National Parks, racial discrimination, conservation, cooking, ingenuity, courage…parents and teachers can use it as a springboard for many different discussions.
- Wonderful illustrations that help you feel you are camping right alongside Tie Sing.
RELATED ACTIVITIES
- Last summer was the 100th anniversary of the National Park System: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial/index.htm
- If you have a National Park in your area, why not plan a day trip. When we lived in Colorado, we often drove 2+ hours to get to Rocky Mountain National Park…in the summer, we’d fish…in the fall, we’d stroll around Estes Park, the town right at one of the park’s entrances, where elk would walk up and down the streets…and in winter, we’d go up for a weekend and stay at one of the local lodges in the park…to snowshoe and cross country ski during the day and soak in the outdoor hot tub in the evening.
- Fortune Cookies
Photo courtesy: Taste of Home
Have you ever made fortune cookies? The kids will have fun thinking up their own fortunes to put in the cookies.
You can find the recipe here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-fortune-cookies
Please leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway of a copy of this wonderful book…and don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the Q&A with author Annette Bay Pimentel.
To find more picture book reviews, hop over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday page.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Perfect Picture Book Friday: The Enchanted Snowglobe Collection – Return to Coney Island PLUS Giveaway
Oh my goodness….we are taking a slight detour from our usual picture book review because, when I heard that there was a chapter book about Coney Island, I knew I had to share it with all of you. I grew up in New York City…and Coney Island was a favorite desitination during the summer months for my family.
Yup, that’s me, at about 18-months old, not a fan of the sand.
These days, even younger kids are enjoying chapter books, either reading them or listening to them. If you are a fan of The Magic Tree House series, I think you will be head over heels in love with THE SNOWGLOBE COLLECTION.
I
THE SNOWGLOBE COLLECTION: RETURN TO CONEY ISLAND
Written by Melissa Stoller
Illustrated by Callie MetlerSmith
Published by Clear Fork/Spork (August 2017)
Opening Lines:
“Ha! I won again,” said Emma. She reached her grandmother’s door just before her twin brother, Simon.”
Themes:
Family, time-travel
Synopsis:
From Amazon:
They thought it was an
ordinary sleepover . . .
When nine-year-old twins Emma and Simon shake a snow globe from their grandmother’s enchanted collection, they are transported back to Coney Island on June 24, 1928. According to family legend, that’s the day their great-grandparents meet on the Coney Island trolley. But if events don’t work exactly as they’re supposed to, the meeting won’t take place and the twins might never be born. After a day of adventures – from the Cyclone roller coaster to the boardwalk arcade, and finally to the all-important trolley ride – will the twins help make it happen? Read the rest of this entry
