Little Chef

by Matt Stine, Elisabeth Weinberg, Paige Keiser (Illustrator)

In honor of the special day, Lizzie wakes up super early, as any good chef should, to prepare the perfect meal for her grandmother, whom Lizzie lauds as the greatest chef in the world.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Childrens, Cooking, Family, Humor, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 3, 2018

About the author

Matt Stine is a sound designer, music producer, and composer for Broadway and Off-Broadway. Little Chef is his first children's book, but he is not the first author in his family. His father is Goosebumps
author R. L. Stine.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excited at the prospect of having her grandmother over for dinner, young Lizzie is determined to do a good job making the Super Special Smashed Sweet Potatoes that this beloved relative enjoys. Making a plan, shopping at the farmer's market (together with mom), watching as mom and dad prepare the potatoes, and then smashing them up, Lizzie is fully invested in every step of the process. Finally, almost done, she must find the secret ingredient that every good chef needs, to make her cooking outstanding...

Husband-and-wife team Matt Stine and Elisabeth Weinberg make their picture-book debut with Little Chef, a sweet, family-centered story apparently inspired by their own child. The artwork by Paige Keiser has a humorous, somewhat scribbly style that reminds me of Matthew Cordell's work, somehow. Children who are interested in cooking will undoubtedly find the story here appealing, as will those who long to be like a beloved grandparent, and it is to such young people that I would recommend the book.

[Valerie Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a happy little story about kitchen fun. Perfect to share with a grandmother too.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lizzie aka Little Chef, has always enjoyed cooking. Since she was a baby she helped cooked the family's meals. Today she will cook her grandmother's favorite - super special smashed sweet potatoes. Will she receive rave reviews from her grandmother? Only the taste buds know the answer.

[Ampersand Inc. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story about the love of cooking from a Chopped Champion (and the son of RL Stein).

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Chef by Matt Stine and Elisabeth Weinberg, illustrated by Paige Keiser. PICTURE BOOK. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2018. $18. 9781250091697

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL.

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This book is told in the first person by a narrator named Lizzy who loves to cook. She has cooked since she was a little girl and now her grandma is coming to visit and Lizzy wants to make the perfect meal for her. Walking through the steps of cooking day, from eating a big breakfast to going to the farmers market to smashing the potatoes. The big moment of the book is when Lizzy must decide what secret ingredient to add to her grandma’s recipe and it turns out she picks well and the meal is a hit.

I love that this book has a recipe for the meal she is cooking in the back. I also love that this book highlights a talent that isn’t always obvious to young readers; so many books are about dancing or sports, that it is nice to have other hobbies depicted. Beyond this, the story is a little vanilla and the illustrations, done in an old comic book style (not in strips, just the illustration style), won’t be immediately eye-catching.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many youngsters, Lizzie loves helping in the kitchen, but she really delights in cooking and considers herself quite a chef. In preparation for a visit from her grandmother, she and her mother head to the local farmers' market where they purchase produce for a special dish. Of course, her parents must do the cutting and cooking parts, but Lizzie is quick to mash up all those sweet potatoes and then find just the right secret ingredient to finish off the dish. When it's time to eat, it seems that everyone is impressed with what Lizzie has prepared. But as most readers will realize, it really doesn't matter what Lizzie and her parents cook since her grandmother is most interested in spending time with Lizzie. For those who want to try this dish, there's even a recipe for Super Special Smashed Sweet Potatoes. The illustrations are detailed, bright, and cheerful, and are surrounded by abundant white space. That Lizzie is sure to grow up to have a career in the food arts in some respect.

[Ro Menendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The journey from being a cook and replicating recipes to finding your own flavor is explored in Little Chef. Lizzie is a spunky girl who loves cooking so much everyone calls her Little Chef. Readers get to know just how invested Lizzie is in cooking through the first half of the story. When Grandma is coming for a visit Lizzie sets out to make Grandma's Smashed Potatoes but the recipe doesn't mention what is her granny's "secret ingredient", what will Little Chef do? Here is where readers will discern the difference between cooking and making your own culinary magic! Beautifully illustrated to reflect Lizzie's dynamic personality, I especially love her voluminous curly hair, with text large enough to not be lost in the artwork, readers will enjoy following Lizzie's cooking adventure and maybe even plan a cooking adventure of their own. The author includes the recipe for Smashed Sweet Potatoes and lists "1 Secret Ingredient" to invite readers to make this recipe their own, suggesting they experiment with spices!

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lizzie is a little chef and is determined to show her grandma that she can cook just like her. However, she can't recreate the recipe exactly right!

It's really a simple book and thus it is a simple review of it. However, more what speaks to me is the personal connection I have to "Little Chef."

This picture book reminds me of my Nana. She was the one who taught me to cook. She taught me to make gnocchi, cannoli, eclairs, and mashed potatoes. I could not go to the memorial service so instead, Garrett, Scott, and I did our own thing. I attempted to recreate her gnocchi and her cannoli. I chalk it up to being emotional.....but they did NOT work. It was quite bad. Yet you know what, Nana would have loved it anyway. Because we made it.

Wow books are reminding me of Nana these days.,

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked that it didn't try to show the Little Chef doing EVERYTHING; instead it was more realistic with Mom and Dad lending a hand in a common sense sort of way. Encourages kids to learn, discover, and try new things. Hooray for a Farmer's Market excursion (and watch for the dog and its shenanigans throughout the book, particularly at the Farmer's Market).

Includes a recipe at the back for the "Super Special Smashed Sweet Potatoes" mentioned in the book. Heads up: some kids will celebrate choosing their own secret ingredient but some kids will find it frustrating! Please keep this in mind with your child and be ready to step in with a very subtle hint or a nudge in the right direction, if needed, for a secret ingredient.

[Mama Bearian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lizzie loves to cook, so much so that her parents call her "Little Chef." Today is a special day because Grandma is coming for dinner, so Lizzie wants to make her smashed sweet potatoes and show her that she can cook just like her. Lizzie and her mom visit the farmer's market and then go home to prepare. The only problem is that Lizzie's recipe doesn't include the secret ingredient, so she has to find her own. Will her smashed sweet potatoes turn out delicious? Read to find out. This was a cute book that little chefs will enjoy. I appreciated that the parents did the parts of the cooking that could be dangerous to little ones, like chopping and using the stove.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Chef appeals to the ever declining age of foodies. With junior editions of popular television shows such as Top Chef and Chopped, this simple and fun picture book is likely to find a hungry audience. A pint-sized chef whips up her special sweet potato dish for her supportive family members. The recipe is included. Would make for a great gift for young chefs in the making.

[Khloe Howie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable book with a time tested theme of cooking for grandma. I felt the story had a nice flow and I enjoyed the unique illustrations. My 8 year old daughter had great fun reading the food adventure and it had words that were perfect for her reading level. Great book to read with grandparents and aunts and uncles.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because our daughter, too, has been a little chef since she was old enough to use a stirring spoon and add the ingredients. A little girl makes smashed sweet potatoes for when her grandmother comes to visit. But what is the secret ingredient?

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl determined to demonstrate to her parents her culinary prowess.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story with wonderful illustrations. The perfect bedtime story for tiny chefs.

[Mary Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Making sweet potatoes for grandma.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good chef never reveals their secrets!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young child wants to make a great meal for their grandma and searches for the right ingredients and that special ingredient to make it awesome. Preschool and up

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about cooking for a grandparent. This book pushes farmers markets, so that is kind of cute.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love how the author explains things in this book (like seasoning) without talking down to the reader.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids laugh and laugh at the times that food splats in the dog’s face!

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chef Lizzie makes Grandma's Super Special Smashed Sweet Potatoes and adds a SECRET ingredient, but the reader is never told what the ingredient is! Complete with a recipe with NO secret ingredient.

[Katie Wilkerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable book about a little girl who is a little chef that loves to cook with her family. It shows children that they too can learn to cook, they are not too small to try.

[Kelly]

I think any young chef will like this book. What I really like about it is it doesn't show a young chef doing a terrible job or trying be goofy when she messes things up. It shows that a young chef can actually be helpful in the kitchen.