Cora promises to keep Uncle JB’s Bread Pet alive but didn’t anticipate its exponential growth! She needs to come up with a solution — and fast! This whimsical STEM story of family, creativity and community will inspire young makers to experiment and share their gifts with others. Includes sourdough starter recipe and sourdough bread recipe.
Key Selling Points:
STEM: Incorporates mathematics concepts like exponential growth and measurement while introducing science topics such as fermentation.
COMMUNITY: Presents sharing with the community as a solution to having “too much” and raises awareness about hunger.
PROBLEM-SOLVING: The protagonist of the story models creative problem-solving techniques like trial-and-error, mapping out mathematical concepts, and asking for help.
DIVERSE & INCLUSIVE: The book portrays a same-sex family with two mothers as well as a protagonist with cochlear implants.
HUMOR & WHIMSY: Hilarity ensues as the Bread Pet threatens to take over the house. Humorous dialogue and whimsical illustrations add interest and pizzazz.
EDUCATIONAL ENDNOTES & RECIPES: Includes explanations of exponential growth and fermentation as well as recipes for a Bread Pet (sourdough starter) and sourdough bread.
More Details
Product Dimensions:8.50 x 10.75 inches
Page Count:32 pages
Age Range:Ages 4-9 years
Awards & Accolades
Nautilus Silver Book Award, 2021
Kids in the Kitchen: New and Recent Books About Cooking and Food, Publishers Weekly, 2021
Let’s Cook and Eat Together Showcase, Children’s Book Council, 2021
★ “A beautiful lesson about helping others with something as yummy as warm bread loaves!” – Youth Services Book Review
“DePalma’s tale introduces doubling and measurement concepts, and lovingly depicts an interracial family” – Publishers Weekly
“This timely book will prove useful for home-based lessons in science, math, and, of course, baking” – Kirkus Reviews
“The bread-baking lesson and recipe at the end make this book more of an experience than just a story. Kids will love it” – Seattle Book Review
“A fun tale of a resourceful child working creatively with family and community to solve a problem. It’s a story that rises above” – Mombian
“This book appears to have beaten everyone else in the world to the punch” – Betsy Bird, Librarian, @FuseEight
“A soulful story of family, community and artisan bread with a dash of multiplications and a sprinkle of science! Funny and gloopy!” – Letterbox Library
About the Contributors
Written by - Kate DePalma
Kate DePalma was born and raised outside Nashville, TN, USA. As Senior Editor at Barefoot Books, she has helped develop dozens of picture books, including the many titles she has authored and co-authored. She holds an M.A. in Classics from the University of Texas and is also a published poet and scholar. Kate lives with her husband and daughter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. For more information, visit www.katedepalma.com.
Illustrated by - Nelleke Verhoeff
Nelleke Verhoeff started her career performing shows for children, but then discovered her passion for art. She has since illustrated several books and was a finalist in the Silent Book Contest at the 2018 Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Nelleke lives in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
This is an endearing story of Cora, a young girl who is asked by her uncle to take care of his bread pet while he is on vacation. She learns that the bread pet is a sourdough bread starter that is indeed living and needs consistent care and feeding. Because the uncle leaves out a key instruction, the bread pet grows extremely fast. This warm tale depicts a young girl learning what it means to be responsible, solve problems, and take actions to improve her community better.
The Bread Pet is a versatile book that can be used to teach many concepts. It addresses math concepts, such as exponential growth and measurement. The scientific concepts of bacteria, fungi, microbes, and fermentation are introduced. It is diverse and inclusive, featuring a main character who wears glasses and is part of a same-sex family. And the endnotes include instructions for making your own sourdough starter and sourdough bread. Add in fun and whimsical illustrations, and you have the perfect recipe for a delicious book!
ByEve,
Posted on
Baking and Sharing
Rating
100%
I love the diverse family in The Bread Pet. I believe representation is important and it is something I look for in children’s books. This story also imparts lessons of responsibility, sharing, and community. And, of course, I love that it teaches the basics of baking with sourdough starter!
