"By Kate DePalma Illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff
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.
“A soulful story of family, community and artisan bread with a dash of multiplications and a sprinkle of science! Funny and gloopy!” – Letterbox Library
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!
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!"
