Kaye Baillie (text) and Kirrili Lonergan (illustrator), The Welcome Cookies, EK Books, September 2024, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922539502
From Kaye Baillie, author of CBCA Early Childhood 2022 shortlisted title When the Waterhole Dries Up, comes a new and delightful picture book
Mable and her mother have a lovely routine every Friday – a visit to the Sugar Plum Café, where Miss Plum greets them with a welcoming smile, and Mabel eats her favourite rainbow ripple cake and then adds a drawing to the smarty-arty wall. But when Mable and her mum return after a four-week holiday, she arrives to find that Miss Plum is no longer there, and the café is under renovation. When it does reopen, things are not the same.
The book exudes a tangible warmth, from the soft colours, the welcoming cakes and then the delightful surprise return of Miss Plum as a customer on the final page.
The end papers are an added bonus, depicting cake ingredients at the beginning, baked cakes and biscuits at the end of the book, and a recipe for Welcome Cookie as an afterword.
Publishing house EK Books specialises in creating books that explore emotional and social issues in a way that is accessible for young readers. This new release examines themes of change, friendships, new beginnings and the importance of community in a gentle and sensitive manner. There are teaching notes available on the website.
Picture books such as this one are not only delightful stories in their own right, but can be important tools to open conversations and help readers share their experiences and feelings. Highly recommended for ages 4-8 years
Reviewed by Bronwyn Joseph
