‘How to Bake a Book’ invites kids to concoct tales of their own

Grandma says you have a sweet tooth.

You’re not sure which one it is, but it might be the one that loves biting into cookies. It could be the tooth that chomps into cake or candy, or maybe it’s the one that loves a lick of ice cream.

Those things are really yummy, so maybe Grandma was right. And when you read “How to Bake a Book” by Ella Burfoot, you’ll fine another thing you’ll like to bite into.

When someone bakes cookies, they probably start by putting their favorite pans on the kitchen counter. They gather mixing cups and bowls, spoons and sheets, eggs and sugar, flour and chocolate. Each thing they use has a certain job.

There’s a recipe to follow when they bake cookies — but when you’re baking a book, it’s quite a different thing.

The first ingredient you need is a cup full of ideas. Then you’ll want to stir in words, but be careful! The big words will take some extra stirring.

You definitely want your book to be tasty, so you’ll need plenty of flavorings. That means you’ll want to drop in reds and blues and greens, three spoonfuls of pink and one of purple. Add in ZAP! and OH! and WOW! and ZING! Sprinkle in a bit of silliness, a smile or two, commas and periods at the end of the sentences, some sad things and lots of happy ones, and add two or three pictures that you can only see when you close your eyes and think.

Now cover it all up and wait.

Like the little girl in this book, you won’t know what your book is about until you roll it out on the counter, add your best filling to make it “thrilling,” put it in a pan so it’s flat, decorate it with your favorite things, and bake it well.

When it’s done, you’ll shake the pan, ease it onto the table, and take a look. Doesn’t it smell good? Flip through the pages and take a nibble.

Congratulations, Chef! You’ve made a delicious, yummy book!

Could it be true that lifelong readers and lifelong foodies both need to start early in their passions? I’ll bet it is – which is why “How to Bake a Book” could be a good addition to your (pretend) kitchen.

With a cute rhyme and colorful illustrations, Burfoot tells the story of a little girl who takes to the oven to create her own story. Just like cookies or pies, there are many steps to a tasty tale and ingredients that magically help “flavor” the recipe — both which result in sprinkles of giggles, a slice of fun and icing on your day.

I think this may be a perfect read-aloud for kids 18 months to 4 years old, especially if they have a fascination with the culinary arts and love to “help” in the kitchen. For them (and for the grown-up who gets to read this aloud), “How to Bake a Book” is the sweetest story.

View publishes Terri Schlichenmeyer’s reviews of books for children and teens weekly.