Written and Illustrated by Victoria Grace Elliott
As someone who loves baking sweet treats, this book was both interesting and a lot of fun. The guide in this book is a food sprite named Peri who goes on a journey to learn about the history, science, stories, and recipes that make up our favorite desserts. There are chapters on ice cream, cake, brownies, donuts, pie, cookies, gummies, and macarons. Each chapter is filled with interesting facts about the origins and science behind these treats – many of which have non-western roots that add to an international feel. I learned that the first cakes were likely made in Egypt and were savory more than sweet. Fried dough goes back to ancient Rome and Greece, where they were smothered in honey, and can also be found in the middle east and Asia. Brownies were made by accident when a housewife forgot to add baking powder to her chocolate cake and came up with something soft and dense that her dinner guests loved even more. The science behind these treats is also fascinating. As someone who has made a lot of chocolate chips cookies, I loved learning how they turn out differently when you tweak the baking powder vs. baking soda, the amount of butter and white sugar vs. brown sugar.
This will appeal to kids who love reading cookbooks, graphic novels, and history. With over 200 pages, there’s a lot of information packed into this book, but it’s really kid-friendly and the recipes look doable. My 11-year old also read it and loved talking about some of the quirky facts she learned.
Reviewed by Andrea LeBaron, Media Clerk, Upland Terrace Elementary School Library
Review shared in February 2022
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 4-8
Yummy: A History of Desserts
Written and Illustrated by Victoria Grace Elliott
RH Graphic, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
218 pages
Release Date: November 30, 2021
ISBN: 9780593124376
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
