One Smart Cookie: Bite-Size Lessons for the School Years and Beyond
Gr 1-2&ndash;Who wants chocolate "all-chip-in" cookies? This book uses sweet confections to explore creative ways to approach a challenge, think of others, and work hard. A brief illustrated glossary serves up a batch of essential life lessons through the collaborative activity of making cookies. The words themselves aren't always simple&ndash;e.g., "prompt," "organized," "prepared," "compromise," "empathy," "integrity"&ndash;but the explanations hit close to the heart and simplify the definition for younger readers. "CONTRIBUTE means you don't just sit back while everyone else makes the cookies; each of us is doing our part and adding something good." Old-fashioned images in bright watercolor illustrations invite readers to look twice: first at the charm of each cookie-baking vignette, and secondly at the detail given children and their animal friends joining in humanlike roles and dress. Cookies tie together the theme of the book; the making of them adds to the sweetness of the message.Mary Elam, Learning Media Services Plano ISD, TX&copy; Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.