Mastering the Art of Childhood

Julia, Child
Writte by Kyo Maclear & Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Age Level: 4-8 Years
Published July 29, 2014

That “joie de vivre.”

Take the Julia Child reference lightly, or as the author suggests “with a grain of salt and perhaps even a generous pat of butter.” This story is not biographical, but that doesn’t make you feel any less sated after reading it.

As a child, Julia falls head over heels in love with French food and French cooking. After perfecting her technique and recipes alongside her best friend Simca, they decide to host a dinner for the jaded and joyless adults that they see all around them. Elevating their food and its purpose, the girls set out to serve food that brings out each grownup's inner child, and to reawaken that youthful part of them that knows how to enjoy life and have a good time.

“They cooked extra slowly to bring out the flavor of not hurrying. They used delicate spices so that worries would disappear and wonders would rise to the surface.”

I believe a writer for the Canadian publication The National Post said it best: "Julia, Child is not only a book about the joy of cooking, but the wonder of childhood, and, like the best cooking, is meant to be savored.”