PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Cookie Time by Jessie Sima

 

COOKIE TIME

written and illustrated by Jessie Sima

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024

ISBN: 978-1-6659-3674-3

Source: publisher for review

Ages 4-8

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From the New York Times bestselling creator of Not Quite Narwhal comes a tasty picture book about two kids who get into time travel shenanigans while trying to skip waiting for cookies to bake!Kat and Ari love cookie time, their special tradition with Grandpa and his dog, Biscuit. It’s always fun and oh, so delicious! But waiting for the cookies to be ready is so hard. What better way to skip to the good part than a time machine? The two plan to jump a little into the future, to when the cookies are out of the oven, but they overshoot and go way too far ahead! And when Kat and Ari try to return, they still can’t get the timing right. They have fun meeting prehistoric dinosaurs, futuristic robots, and even past versions of themselves…but just wish they could get back to Grandpa. Could they have been wrong about the best part of cookie time?

REVIEW

This delightful tale of family, cookies, and time travel highlights not only the challenge that waiting for anything can be for a child, but also the power of an imagination. Cookie time with Grandpa and Biscuit provides Kat and Ari loads of fun. Except for the time that must be spent waiting for the cookies to bake. They build themselves a 'time machine' only to find themselves being sent to the wrong 'time period'. Despite several attempts, the girls are unable to arrive back at the house at the perfect time. Will the girls realize that waiting isn't the worst thing or will the girls find themselves unable to return at all? The joys of friendship and family shine brightly in this clever take on baking cookies. The way the girls use their imaginations is delightful and the antics of the dog in the illustrations add to the humor. The amusing ending adds the perfect touch. A delightful book for sharing in those difficult moments of waiting for a desired result and sure to inspire all kinds of imaginative adventures, with or without a 'time machine'. Highly recommended.