| Title | : | Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0312548486 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780312548483 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 32 |
| Publication | : | First published October 26, 2010 |
Do you like to cook? We do, too. We even have our own cooking show, even though one of us really isn't old enough to be on the show.
But Mom said we had to share.
Anyway, we hope you like our show!
Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly Reviews
-
As I work in the main branch of New York Public Library, sometimes I get to see the occasional celebrity. Not long ago,
Mario Batali was in my children’s room with a carefully assembled group of adorable munchkins for a storytime photo op (he read
Green Eggs and Ham and
Bee-Bim Bop, in case you’re interested). For the most part I think the kids gathered were the children of parental cooking show fans. There was one kid who caught my eye, though. Decked out in a full chef outfit, from his white hat to his smock, one five-year-old was clearly a lifelong Mario Batali disciple. When Mario asked what a particular ingredient in Bee-Bim Bop might be, the child answered with zero hesitation, “BASIL!” I think often of that young man, particularly when I read books that have to deal with cooking. If only Cooking With Henry and Elliebelly had been out when Mr. Batali came to visit. Not only could I have suggested that he read it to the kids (which would have been a blast) but I bet that boy in the audience would have been delighted beyond measure to lay his hands on this story. Author Carolyn Parkhurst takes the idea of two kids playing TV, and turns it into a universal tale of big brotherhood vs. squirmy attention-sucking little sisterhood. Complemented by Dan Yaccarino’s pitch perfect pictures, your kid won’t have to own his own garlic press to get a kick out of this delightful new offering.
You’re just in time! Before us are our hosts, Henry and Elliebelly. Henry, age five, stands behind a table announcing the name of their show as his little sister Elliebelly (age two) proclaims loudly, “Cooking! I help!” A sweet red-haired, butterfly winged spawn of little sisterdom purgatory, Elliebelly’s cute as a bug’s ear but she is two, after all. So when Henry pulls out the chef hats, Elliebelly’s the one who gets him to change to pirate hats. Some mild food related mishaps render Elliebelly’s doll Baby Anne a bit worse for the wear, but in the end the pretend food is finally done. Fortunately there are some real world waffles to finish out the show, and our two hosts sign off with us until next time.
Carolyn Parkhurst is, at this precise moment in time, better known for her adult novel
The Dogs of Babel. Cooking With Henry and Elliebelly, then, marks her departure into the world of children’s literature. For a lot of adult authors making the switch, the transition can be painful. Most of the time they’ll write some madcap fantasy novel that reads like a rip-off of Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll, or some sad combination of both. To write a picture book takes a bit more finesse. I believe it was
Mem Fox who once said that “Writing a picture book is like writing 'War and Peace' in Haiku." Credit where credit’s due, Parkhurst makes an admirable stab at the genre. Her bio says that she has two children of her own, and the sheer authenticity of the dialogue here definitely makes me feel like we’re on familiar ground here. Write what you know? Don’t mind if she does! The back and forth between the five-year-old Henry and the two-year-old Elliebelly consistently rings true while Parkhurst wrings quite a few of laughs out of the storyline along the way. Henry’s sudden appearance wearing the pirate hat Elliebelly insisted he wear and their rendition of what a commercial sounds like (it’s basically Henry saying things like “Buy some pudding!” while Elliebelly repeats on a loop, “Now now now now now!!!”) are some of the high points.
One of the things I also like about this book is the way in which the off-screen mom is presented. Nine out of ten times, if an older brother complains about a younger sister to his mother, her reaction is going to be one of those horribly benign, “Be nice to your little sister” lines kids hate so much. Those lines certainly come out of the mouths of real mothers, but when a younger sibling really is being a pest, such statements are not particularly helpful. The fun thing about the mom in Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly is that her advice to Henry is far better than the average fictional mom, while still remaining just as unhelpful. When, for example, he complains about Elliebelly’s insistence ad nauseum that he wear a pirate hat during his “show”, he mom responds with, “Sweetie, she’s two. You don’t have to do what she says.” As an adult, I think that’s pretty good advice. As a kid, I’d probably be just as annoyed as Henry with its lack of Elliebelly-punishment related specificity.
Yaccarino’s style wouldn’t have been the first pairing I’d have come up with for this book, but as I read, it became clearer and clearer to me that putting him together with Parkhurst was something akin to inspired. In this book, Yacarrino adopts his standard and mildly retro black dot eyes and wide open mouth-style. And as the tale continues, this format becomes funnier and funnier. Because Elliebelly is two she is portrayed with a wild mop of unkempt hair and a black semi-circle of a mouth that sometimes seems to be permanently set to “open”. Her words are limited, so there’s a lot of holding objects up and proclaiming what they are, long and loud. That said, I like the emotional beats here. After Elliebelly has placed her doll Baby Anne in Henry’s mucky ingredients the next shot is of the toddler sitting, mildly morose, against the family dog. “Baby Anne take bath,” she says, almost distractedly. Clearly this new development has thrown her for a loop. Yaccarino's body language speaks loads about her mood. With pictures alone he's doing half the talking here.
The layout was a shock, though it took me all of two pages to get over it. For the most part, Yacarrino places his characters on a pure white background, letting the colors and action (such as it is) just pop. That’s cool, but there’s something about the first appearance of the words on the page that strikes the reader unawares. They're so stark. They just run on the top of the page, black on white, apart from everything. You catch on to what’s happening pretty quickly, though. Henry’s words appear as bluntly as they do on the page because they need to be contrasted with Elliebelly’s. For every one of his sane “We need to wear chef hats” statements, Elliebelly is on hand to render an additional “NO CHEF HAT! PIRATE HAT!” in sweet, sharp, bright red contrast.
And now, an ode to endpapers. Oh endpapers. You beautiful, much forgotten little essential elements of the paper version of a book. Maybe someday we’ll live in a world where every word is digitized and ink on paper is an archaic remnant of the past. And maybe in this future endpapers will be long forgotten. A relic of a time when people needed interesting features to get them to the real text of any 32-page book. Should that day arrive, I hope that you will stop now and consider how important the proper use of endpapers really is. In the case of Henry and Elliebelly, the endpapers are a sight familiar to any parents’ eye. It’s the ephemera of children’s day-to-day lives. Sticky dripping juice boxes and Play-doh covered rolling pins. Cookies with single bits taken from them and rubber duckies floating in doggie drink bowls. Every bit of mess has its place on the white background. There is no overlap. It’s as if the mess has been separated with each object in its own particular sphere. That way, we’re able to view it with a kind of jaundiced eye. Parents will see the endpapers and recognize the enemy. Kids will see them and be plunged into an already familiar world. Well played, Yaccarino man.
For a while there I had a hard time reading the name “Elliebelly” without thinking of “Anibelly” from the
Alvin Ho series by Lenore Look. She fulfills the same essential purpose too. Which is to say, she’s an annoying little sister. Still and all, I don’t think this book is going to appeal solely to kids with similar siblings of their own. It won’t really matter if a kid is an only child, eldest of four, or youngest of ten. Everyone can read this book and identify with the put upon Henry, even as they admire him for his noteworthy patience with the wide-eyed, wide-mouthed, winning little Elliebelly. If this were a real television show, I guarantee you’d watch it. Instead, I guess you’re just gonna have to settle for reading the book.
For ages 4-8. -
Whether you are 5 or 45, this book will make you laugh! Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly is uproariously funny. Henry and his little sister Eleanor (or as Henry likes to call her Elliebelly) are hosting their own live cooking show. The treat they are making for us today - Raspberry-marshmallow-peanut butter waffles with barbecued banana bacon. YUM!
Henry is a very imaginative boy who is pretending to host his own cooking show. As he tries to go through the various steps to making his raspberry-marshmallow-peanut butter waffles, his little sister Elliebelly interjects with her own special brand of commentary. Elliebelly wants them to wear pirate not chef hats and would like to add a little pizza to the mix. Such is the way of little sisters and Henry learns there is not way to argue with a 2-year old. This is great book to read aloud, especially if you can do it with two readers or two voices.
I recommend it for reading aloud for all ages. -
This was adorable.
Carolyn Parkhurst is one of my favorite authors, so when I saw that she had written a children's book I simply had to check it out. Much to my delight, it had all the hallmarks of a typical Parkhurst project. It was hilarious and touching, and even involved the typical tragedy that has been a hallmark of her stories. (Don't tell me the doll drowning in the batter and then being reborn under a different name wasn't a typical Parkhurst tragedy.)
This book is great. It perfectly captures the great imagination that children have and how they tend to amuse themselves. The plasticity of play is there as well, and it even features some topnotch parenting allowing the children to work things out for themselves rather than handholding or chastising the kids to get along.
Great book for kiddos with adorable illustrations. -
picture book (cooking, younger siblings; preschool ages 3 and up)
action-packed and funny; this would make a great read-aloud. Pictures are bright and appealing; you do need to see them to get the whole story (as when Elliebelly's dolls join the show, or when one of the dolls takes a bath in the batter), so not for dial-a-story, but definitely a crowd-pleaser for group (or one-on-one) readalouds. -
3.5 stars
-
Cute sendup of a cooking show. Henry and 2 year old Elliebelly do their cooking show.
I love the commercials they insert.
The font is absurdly small. -
5yo & 3yo both find this hilarious. Counting that as a library book win.
-
What made me pick this one off the library shelf? I loved the title and the cover. One of the reasons for this was that Elliebelly has red hair, and so do my two girls. We are always drawn to characters with hair the color of theirs...even in movie picks, Brave is one of their favorites, so what can I say, WE do judge books by their covers or characters by their hair color. However, before checking it out, I flipped through the pages and based on my quick perusal felt it had just the right amount of text for a three year old. So in the library basket it went. It was not my daughter's first choice to read once we got home, but it eventually made its way to the top of the pile, and what fun we had reading this one.
Think kids version of a cooking show where things never seem to turn out right, or do they? The co-hostess Elliebelly, just does not cooperate, and mom seems to interrupt at inopportune times too, but Henry is the consummate host and rolls with the punches, taking everything in stride. He never forgets the most important ingredient of all: Have Fun! Henry has a wonderful imagination. and wait till you see what these two kids have cooked up for their show. Recipes to make kids of all ages giggle fill the pages of this cooking show on paper, think Oscar the Grouch and his chicken soup skit on Sesame Street.
So, if you are looking for a fun read that is guaranteed to make you laugh pick up a copy of Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly. If you are still unsure it this ones for you read below for a recipe to whet ones appetite for this wonderful picture book by Carolyn Parkhurst, and don't forget, Bon Appétit!
Recipe for Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly
1 older brother
1 red-headed sister
1 pretend cooking show
2 Pirate Hats
1 stack of bold, retro illustrations
2 tsps. Teamwork
1 cup Humor
2 tsps. Honesty
Whisk together for a great read!
-
If you like cooking and pretending then this is the book and have a sister like Elliebelly who is an equally adorable and a temperamental toddler,and a big brother like Henry who has just enough patience to 'work it out,' as referee mom commands out, then you will enjoy reading this book. Five years old Henry and his two years old sister, Elenor but Henry calls her Elliebelly are pretending to be on their own cooking on a show and Elliebelly wants to do it her way. At one point of time in the book their mother does some off stage refereeing because Elliebelly want Henry to wear a pirate hat instead of a chef hat. They are pretending to be cooking raspberry-marshmallow-peanut butter waffles which is made of the fine ingredients along with some of Elliebelly's contribution. Their cooking show even features a commercial: "Buy a car! Buy a giraffe! Buy a rocket ship! Buy some pudding! NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!" The result is a satisfying to Henryof a empty plate of pretend food, which Elliebelly strenuously objects to,"No pretend food! Real food!", she says. But mom comes through with an invitation to dine on some actual waffles that she has whipped up, and Henry and Elliebelly are now happy and ready for their next show.
This book would be great fun to share with preschool children through early elementary. Kids will relate to the humorous antics of this charming brother and sister duo. All in all, this book is a delicious treat to read and share!
-
5 year old Henry and his 2 year old sister Eleanor, better known as Elliebelly, have a treat for you. Today on their cooking show they’re going to make raspberry-marshmallow-peanut butter waffles. Henry does his best to keep the show on track, even though Elliebelly insists that they wear pirate hats and that her dolls need to go swimming in the batter. Finally, after a theme song, a commercial ("Buy some pudding!"), lots of sibling negotiating, and even a bit of pretend cooking, brother and sister troop to the kitchen for some real mom-made waffles.
This is one of my favorite books about siblings because even though Henry and Elliebelly have disagreements they learn to compromise and negotiate without resorting to name calling or other negative behaviors. Although Henry is often exasperated by his sister, he never tries to exclude her.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day:
http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2... -
My favorite line of this whole book is when Henry complains to his mom about something his sister is trying to make him do, and she says "She's two, you don't have to do what she says." But of course they do, and the cooking show becomes a pirate cooking show, which is extra awesome. I loved that this book really demonstrates the way siblings play pretend and how even at different ages they can interact together, and that older siblings can be so patient in spite of themselves. I also loved when Henry said they got to have as many marshmallow's as their age, so he got five and she got two--this is SO something I'd of said.
-
Still waiting to see this one...Kate says it would make a good puppet show.
And now that I've seen it, it's fantastic! Dan Yaccarino is perfect as the illustrator. If my sister is reading this, you should check it out too. I think we totally would've had a pretend cooking show like this. I'm so glad to see that it got the subject heading "Imagination," so I can find it again when I feel sad that today's kids often lack pretending skills. I also like that the mom is only a voice offstage -- she is never seen.
Favorite quote:
"And now, it's time for a commercial. Buy a car! Buy a giraffe! Buy a rocket ship! Buy some pudding! NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!" -
Parkhurst and Yaccarino, what a team! Henry aspires to create a cooking show, titled Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly. He even has a theme song, and a featured recipe - raspberry-marshmallow-peanut butter waffles with barbecued banana bacon. Due to his assistant's insistence, the recipe and show title get modified. When Elliebelly's Baby Anne goes swimming in orange juice, things get dialed back a bit. Henry shows incredible patience with Elliebelly's antics, which Yaccarino captures perfectly with bright color and humorous detail.
-
Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly was super cute. It's realistic fiction about a five year boy and his two year old sister who put on a make believe cooking show together. Henry explained to his "audience" how to make rasberry-marshmellow-peaunt butter waffles with barbecued banana bacon. I definitely remember doing things like this as a child and coming up with crazy recipes and pretending I was teaching people how to do it. I liked this book and it is a very realistic look into the mindset of a creative child.
-
This is probably my favorite picture book of the year! Five-year-old Henry is trying to put on a TV cooking show with his two-year-old sister Elliebelly. They're making Barbecue Banana Bacon. Of course, things don't go smoothly when a two-year-old is "helping." Full of funny cooking and TV jokes, this one will be fun for both parents and kids, especially if you're a family with the Food Network on all day.
-
Henry pretends to have a cooking show with the "help" of his little sister Elliebelly. Since Elliebelly is only two, she mostly just repeats what Henry says or exasperates him with her insistance that he wear a pirate hat. Yaccarino perfectly captures Henry's expressions of annoyance and Elliebelly's toddler joy and tantrums.
-
So funny and appealing that you'll be sure to trot out your best character voices and you may even be tempted to try making raspberry-marshmallow-peanut butter waffles with bbq banana bacon. Well, perhaps not the last bit, but Yaccarino's illustrations are a treat and Parkhurt's characters have pitch-perfect dialog.
-
Why did I wait so long to read this adorable book? I cannot wait to read it aloud to kindergarten. I'll read the brother's lines and I'll select a student to read the sister's. You're in for a real treat! .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV7BZU...
Thank you to the person who recommended it on Twitter -
Preschool. Print awareness: different fonts, colors, sizes, speech bubbles. Narrative Skills: children can describe what is happening in the illustrations to make the characters say what they're saying. Fun book that shows two siblings pretending to hold a cooking show. Themes: cooking, siblings, television show (ads, jingles, narration).
-
Like Max of Ruby and Max fame, Elliebelly is a contrarian, a little terror who insists on doing everything her way. Henry as the older brother, tries to direct her in a pretend cooking show. She does stuff like insist on wearing a pirate hat rather than a chef hat. Cute, and Yaccarino's retro pics work well with the concept.
-
This was a really cute and hilarious book that would be so fun to read aloud to a class! Young students could easily relate to Henry and the dynamic he has between his younger sister, Elliebelly. It teaches students about expression and dialogue. You could also assign follow-up activities where students could create their own television shows or recipes that are the main focus of the book.
-
Five year old Henry is putting on a cooking show. Today he is going to teach us to make raspberry, marshmallow, peanut-butter waffles. If only his spirited (and a tad pesky) two year old sister would stop interrupting. This tale is funny and absolutely adorable. Each member of family found ourselves in the story and could appreciate the humor.
-
A boy and his toddler sister put on a "cooking show". A talented with consistent different voices reader could make this majorly thrilling for a large audience. Props/puppets could bring this one to life!
