 |
| CALKINS CREEK, January, 2022 |
BORN HUNGRY: Julia Child Becomes “the French Chef” is written by Alex Prud’homme and illustrated by Sarah Green. If you weren’t already of fan of Julia Child, this book will make you one, at any age. The character and personality traits that won over fans for her recipes, cookbooks, television appearances, and overall public persona shines through in this colorful and creative picture book. The opening lines capture her kid-appeal in a few, perfect words.
“Julia McWIlliams wore size twelve sneakers, stood six feet, two inches tall, played basketball, laughed loudly, and was curious about everything. All this activity made her crave food- lots of food.”
The opening spread on which these words appear features GLORIOUSLY large, colorful, rich foods while the facing page presents Julia in her confident and take-it-or-leave-it young-girl glory, her clothes mirroring the vibrant food colors and her self-assured stance foreshadowing the familiar postures she assumed on her programs, whether in conversation or behind a pot or pan or bowl. Julia was a substantially non-typical girl who was absolutely fine with who she was and what she chose to do in life. And she adored food! What's not to love?
Born into a wealthy family, she was always hungry but never considered cooking. Her family employed a very competent cook- why would Julia even consider cooking for herself? Her quest for a life of action and adventure led her far from home to work for an American “spy” service. To her surprise, she was assigned are a desk with a rather boring job. She was lonely and not very eager to continue.
Until a new co-worker moved into the next office. He was everything she was not- older, very quiet, but also a world traveler with far wider experiences in foods and culture. And he was as intrigued with Julia as she was with him, Paul. They spent many hours together, enjoying new things like food, books, and travel. He encouraged Julia, the girl who grew up inhaling food, to slow down and taste each bite, to fully experience food and the atmosphere in which it was served, the culture it represented. After the war ended (WWII), Julia and Paul married and moved to France. Julie decided that a married woman should learn to cook. What better place to do that than in France at a leading culinary academy?
This book offers young readers a celebration of a spirited young girl who loved food, then applied that sense of adventure and curiosity to preparing amazingly delicious meals and desserts. Was she always successful? Far from it. In fact, it was her attitude about mistakes and failures that entertained adults and will capture the love of young readers, too. The illustrations using bright colors and style to open this profile with vitality continue to turn Julia’s adult life into a kid-friendly world on the page.
Back matter provides photos and details about her impressive career as a writer, entertainer, teacher, chef, food ambassador, and inspiration for all ages. The final spread shares her very FRENCH recipe for scrambled eggs, and seems as delicious as it is simple. It includes a caution that children should have adult assistance to make them because a hot pan is involved. I found myself eager to try it, since my approach does NOT produce the kind of eggs her recipe will.
Author Prud'homme is the grandson of Paul's twin brother, knew her well, and worked with Julia until her death on her adult memoir about the post-war years in France. The text is effectively sprinkled with quotations from Julia Child’s notebooks, programs, interviews, and cookbooks, with the last one appearing to capture her life story perfectly:
“Find something you’re passionate about and stay tremendously interested in it!”
No comments:
Post a Comment