Vanessa Garcia

What the Bread Says is an adorable picture book that is also a very helpful tool in teaching children about other cultures and also the importance of connecting with people through food and cooking.

The grandfather, Papan, spends time with his grandchild every Saturday in the kitchen baking bread. Every week they make a different bread and he tells her stories about the history of that particular bread. Included in the book is information about the Jewish bread, challah, the French baguette, and sweet Cuban bread.

The illustrations are also very colorful and engaging. A great book for children ages 4-10.… (mere)

Thank you to Cardinal Rule Press for an advance copy. I like this book for the possibility of parents/guardians/teachers broaching the subject of baking bread or even of immigration but as far as the entire book is concerned, I think it's a bit cerebral for children. The mother in the book goes off to yoga while the girl main character goes to her grandpa's house to bake bread, "meditating another way." That isn't much explained.

I like how the grandpa shares stories of having lived in France and in Cuba but wish the book had explicitly said he was from Spain instead of just an illustration of him pointing to Spain. Showing the braids of challah they are baking and labeling them "of love," "harmony,"and history" is nice. But apparently that isn't what the bread said...

What the bread said is in its scent: "Everything you've ever learned. And everything you haven't, not yet. Everything you'll ever need. It's all here in this bread."

Love? Family? I'm not sure what the bread was saying.

Cute illustrations and an obviously sweet relationship between a granddaughter and her grandfather. Due to mention of a world war, maybe best for 2nd grade and up.… (mere)

(Full disclosure: I received a free ARC for review through Library Thing's Early Reviewers program.)

-- 3.5/5 stars --

While her mom is meditating in yoga class, Vanessa and her grandfather Papan practice another type of introspection - in Papan's kitchen. Together, they make all kinds of bread - sweet and savory, fluffy and hearty, from every region of the world.

Their first creation: a baguette, inspired by Papan's childhood in France.

Their latest masterpiece: challah, a braided bread made with love.

WHAT THE BREAD SAYS is a sweet, charmingly illustrated picture book for kids ages 4 to 10, that celebrates diversity, curiosity, and empathy. I wish we could have learned more about Papan's life - in particular, his immigration to France and Cuba, the latter during WWII - hence the 3.5/5 stars. And a challah recipe would have been a nice bonus!

Still, it's a lovely book, and I really appreciated the discussion questions included at the beginning of the ARC.… (mere)