Have you seen the movie Julie & Julia? I’ve watched it three or four times. I love the idea of a project like cooking through Julia Child’s masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and of course Julia and Paul’s relationship was a joy to observe. (Not to mention the fact that Meryl Streep is a superb actress.) I’ve also read Julia Child’s memoir, My Life in France. Since that is the extent of my knowledge of the iconic American chef, I am by no means an expert, but I hope you will find my reviews of three picture books about Julia Child useful. Let me know if you read any of them!

Minette’s Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat by Susanna Reich, illustrated by Amy Bates (Abrams Books, 2012)

This lovely picture book tells the story of how Julia Child learned to cook by focusing on her cat, who is a very particular eater, preferring mouse to almost everything else. The pencil and watercolour illustrations are perfect. The text is a pleasure to read. Take this example:

“As the months passed, Julia became quite the gourmet cook.
She baked and blanched, blended and boiled, drained and dried, dusted and fried.
She floured and flipped, pitted and plucked, rinsed and roasted, sizzled and skimmed.
And when she wasn’t trimming, toasting, or topping, she was washing, whipping, and whisking!
At Julia’s feet, Minette purred with contentment.
The smells were heavenly, the tastes delightful.
Still, there was mouse.”

The two-page “Afterward” is a concise biography of Julia Child. It is followed by endnotes referencing the quotations Reich uses for the dialogue in the story, a list of sources, and a glossary (with pronunciation guide). The book ends with the “Author’s Note,” which describes Reich’s meeting with Julia Child and also the inspiration for the book. Recommended for ages 3-8.

Bon Appetit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland (Schwartz & Wade, 2012)

I would call this book an illustrated biography (rather than a story). In 45 pages it covers Julia Child’s life with its myriad interesting details. Unfortunately I did not enjoy the comic book-style format. You’ll have to judge for yourself.

Hartland ends with a crepe recipe, a bibliography that lists 15 sources, a photograph, and directions on where to view Julia Child’s kitchen and eat at the restaurant where she had her first meal in France. Recommended for ages 6-10.

Julia, Child by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Morstad (Tundra Books, 2014)

This book imagines what it would have been like if Julia Child and her friend Simca (Simone Beck, one of the co-authors of Mastering the Art of French Cooking) had learned to cook as children. They use food to teach grown-ups to be “a little less beastly and a little more generous.” The message is that adults should be more child-like. The whimsical illustrations are partly black and white and partly colour. I didn’t fall in love with the story or the pictures. The book opens with a brief author’s note, but there is no other information or resources included, so this book is definitely for entertainment rather than teaching kids about Julia Child. Recommended for ages 5-7.

Comments about picture books, cooking, and Julia Child are always welcome!

Update: I’ve linked up with Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Quick Lit 7/16, where you can check out what other bloggers have been reading lately.