Mr. Emerson's Cook

by Judy Schachner

American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson is so immersed in his own imagination that he has stopped eating, and it takes down-to-earth Irish cook Annie Burns to assume the challenge of cooking for the great man.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Judith Byron "Judy" Schachner is an American children's writer and illustrator. Her works include the Skippyjon Jones series. Schachner lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bob, and a dog and her two Siamese cats.

Reviews

[Deevena Jemima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story !

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Judith Byron Schachner's illustrations--her sense of whimsy and color are lovely. This story is all the more intriguing as her great-grandmother actually was a household cook for Ralph Waldo Emerson after emigrating to the U.S. from Ireland. Annie the cook learns from Mr. Emerson how to let her imagination flow into her cooking, and reads this beautiful quote in a note from him
"What lies behind us
and what lies before us
are small matters compared
to what lies within us."

The story is not fluffy picture book fare, but juicy & thought-provoking, as a whimsical look into the life of this beloved American philosopher.

[Srujan · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Semi?) Biographical book about the renowned poet/ philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. In the story, Emerson is so immersed in his thoughts and imagination that he stops eating. Fresh off the boat from the Ireland is Anna Burns who is looking for a job in America. As expected, Anna has an uphill task to complete and struggles with it in the beginning. But a peek at a cookbook she scribbled as a kid with almost nonsensical recipes, as you expected a kid to do, gives her the much needed inspiration.

I absolutely loved the book. Even the gorgeous illustrations add to the mood of being around a whimsical philosopher. It left me wondering if Emerson suffered from a documented eating disorder, how he overcame it, and was there even enough awareness back then about such disorders. The book has no mention of it. I will have to Google I suppose. The author is a great granddaughter of Anna Burns, so the story is true. But it also gave me questions.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lord knows I try to understand Mr. Emerson, but his wisdom escapes me. When offered a warm bowl of soup, he chooses the warm colors of the sunset every time."

An enchanting story of Annie Burns, the Irish immigrant hired to be the cook for the family of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who were all exasperated by his desire to think and write and wander in nature instead of eat. An interesting tidbit you learn at the end of the book in the author's note: Judy Schachner, the author of this book, is the great-granddaughter of Annie Burns.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute biography of the actual cook for Ralph Waldo Emerson, with beautiful artwork and dazzling imagery. It's weird thinking of a such a biography being heartwarming, since it's primarily about Emerson's eating disorder, but Annie Burns eventually does learn how to get through to Emerson's stomach!

Recommended for fans of cooking and nature! It's somewhat light on content specifically about Emerson, so I don't know if it would satisfy his fans (but it's lovely all the same!).

[ConnieLettow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny story about Annie Burns and her adventures as Ralph Waldo Emerson's family cook. The newly arrived young Irish immigrant is tasked with finding a way to make her new boss eat. Mr. Emerson is much more concerned with feeding his soul than his body. And Annie must figure out how to get him to feed his body as well.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful book. I loved how Judy Schachner wove in poetic elements of Emerson and incorporated homecooking into such a lovely story. This is based partly on fact, and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The ending left me with a smile on my face. I would recommend.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joyous, whimsical illustrations and a captivating story that weaves some of the poetic philosophical charms of Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson in and around the interesting facts and among the imaginative fiction.

[Ellen L. Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a splendid historical, based on information about Schachner's great-grandmother who was Emerson's cook. An inspiring, imaginative story with wonderful Emerson quotes--"Your work should be in praise of what you love" and "A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."

[Madison’s Musings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations that encapsulate the poetry of Ralph Waldo Emerson. What I liked the most is the usage of words that will no doubt build any little one's vocabulary having read it.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even the drawings are lyrical.