09/20/2021
In this vibrant visual tour of favorite modern-day treats, brown-skinned, green-haired sprite Peri, clad in spectacles and a yellow apron, along with colorful companions Fee and Fada, offer a global and historical overview of seven desserts: ice cream, cake, brownies, donuts, pie, gummies, and cookies. Chapters provide an in-depth history: the ice cream chapter, for example, covers the origins of the treat, from an ancient Roman emperor’s penchant for eating ice with berry and wine toppings to the invention of mochi, making various pit stops that explain the iced treat’s variations—including Korean bingsu, Iranian bastani sonnati, and the invention of the waffle cone. Other sections follow the same format, including content such as important dessert-world figures, the science behind kitchen confections, and recipes for the hands-on learner. World maps at the top of each chapter pinpoint the origins of desserts mentioned. Elliot’s debut shares delightfully delectable goodies in an easily digestible format that stays light and comical. Whimsical illustrations, reminiscent of colorful vintage sweet shops, complement the subject matter. Ages 8–12. Agent: Steven Salpeter, Curtis Brown. (Oct.)
"For tweens who love a good origin story, consider this enticingly illustrated history of desserts." —New York Magazine
09/01/2021
Gr 6 Up—A small, winged, green-haired, brown-skinned, bespectacled "food sprite" called Peri is an enthusiastic tour guide through the world of dessert history, accompanied by two other sprites: light-skinned, pink-haired Fee, who adores stories, and brown-skinned, blue-haired Fada, who loves science and chocolate. The narrators' tiny size allows the desserts to take prominence; chapters are devoted to ice cream, cake, brownies, doughnuts, pie, gummies, cookies, and macarons. Peri's history of each type of dessert is sprinkled with stories (such as "The Legend of the Waffle Cone"), interview corners, and science labs, each of which has a different colored background to set it apart from the main narrative. Most chapters are preceded by a world map indicating where that dessert has appeared throughout history; Elliott does not shy away from the role of trade, colonization, and enslavement as she discusses how certain foods spread across the globe and baked goods were adapted to local tastes. The book is full of entertaining nuggets on an appealing topic, and recipes are included, complete with a list of ingredients and equipment and step-by-step instructions. Back matter includes a bibliography. VERDICT As Peri muses dreamily, "You ever just think about cake?" Great British Baking Show fans, as well as those who love to eat, bake, and share desserts, will devour this sweet treat of a nonfiction graphic novel.—Jenny Arch, Lilly Lib., Florence, MA
2021-08-16
Sugar and spice and all things nice are the focus of this eye-catching and educational graphic nonfiction title.
Enthusiastic, food-loving sprite Peri and her friends and fellow sprites, Fee and Fada—a racially diverse, colorfully coiffed trio—offer readers an overview of the history of desserts, insights into the science behind cooking and baking, and a few tempting recipes. The first chapter, focusing on ice cream, covers frozen dishes from ancient Rome and the Middle East, 19th-century European ice cream carts, and the Japanese American inventor of mochi ice cream, with stops along the way including sorbet (and its varying incarnations), the supposed invention of the waffle cone at the St. Louis World’s Fair, and modern Korean variations on the classic shaved ice dessert bingsu, among other topics. Other sections follow a similar format as they look at cakes, brownies, doughnuts, pies, gummies, cookies, and macarons. World maps inserted throughout help readers understand where various food items originated. Sections labeled “Story Time” concisely and colorfully explain how certain dishes came to be; when the stories are more legend than fact, the real history immediately follows. Elliott presents readers with delectable morsels of knowledge: The immersive, interactive feel and the vibrant and creatively detailed illustrations that evoke an old-fashioned candy shop will sustain readers’ attention.
Scrumptiously entertaining and informative. (bibliography, profiles of food sprites) (Graphic nonfiction. 8-12)
