Goodies, Inc.: The Cookie Baker by Monica Wallington

EARLY IN THE MORNING MR. COOKIE BAKER GETS READY TO MAKE COOKIES.

As the sun rises over the town, Mr. Cookie Baker is already in his snug cookie shop, attired in his crisp red-checked apron and chef's hat, with his ingredients--butter, sugar, flour, vanilla flavoring, spice boxes, and eggs--arranged around him as he consults his recipe book. He assembles the tools of his trade, too--graduated measuring cups and spoons, whisks, beaters, scrapers, spatulas, and a big red spoon to stir up all his ingredients.

With the sweet-smelling dough on a floured board, he pulls out his rolling pin and rolls out the dough just so and sets out his collection of cookie cutters. He cuts out stars and hearts, bears and bunnies, cats and chickens, and even Santas and angels, and with his spatula lifts them carefully onto cookie sheets, and pops them into his big ovens. Soon the cookie store is filled with the appetizing aroma of cookies baking.

It's still early when Mr. Cookie Baker takes the cookies out of the oven, perfectly browned, decorates some of them with icing and some with sprinkles, and transfers them to the cooling shelves behind the counter in his cozy shop, now filled with the delicious smells of warm cookies.

And his shop is soon to be filled with hungry cookie lovers.

NOW HE IS READY FOR THE CUSTOMERS.

HERE COME THE HUNGRY CHILDREN!

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And the cookies soon vanish into festive boxes, paper sacks, and happy mouths, in Monica Wallington's joyful story, Mr. Cookie Baker (Board Book Edition) (Dutton Childrens Books/Penguin).

What's not to like about a a cookie shop presided over by a rosy, smiling baker? Author-illustrator Monica Wallington has a jolly story of sweets and kids together in a cheery shop with red-and-white checked tile floors and a smiling Mr. Baker in his red-checked apron. For toddlers learning shapes, for preschoolers prepping for a field trip to a bakery, for emergent readers and precocious cooks, this simple story with its simple line drawings and bright colors is a charming choice for young readers, with a sly suggestion of holidays to come. And of course, nobody doesn't like cookies!