A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Ben Mantle

"Although William lived in the magical land of fairy tales, he preferred pastries to princesses, kitchens to kingdoms, and recipes to the Royal Reporter."

And in the very first sentence, Penny Parker Klostermann had me hooked. But then again, this blog does have the word Foodie in the title, so you know, captive audience and all.

Fractured fairy tales are one of my favorite genres of picture books because I'm a fan of subversion, what can I say. But with the genre becoming so saturated these days, it's hard to find a fractured fairy tale that stands out. But Penny Parker Klostermann found her niche in her main character, William, who manages to upend all of the fairy tales by taking the apple from Show White, the beans from Jack and the Beanstalk, and the pumpkin from Cinderella and turning them into Baked Apples with Caramel Drizzle, Bean Soup with Smoked Ham, and Pumpkin Pie with Cream and Candied Pecans.

Well whatever will happen in the fairy tales now when the very source of conflict has been completely changed? The answer is sure to surprise and delight you.


A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Ben Mantle
Published: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 32
Genre/format: Fractured fairy tale/picture book
Audience: Primary/Middle Grade
Disclosure: Finished copy provided by publisher

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.