Out Now from Harper Collins Publishing; 48 pages
About the Author: “Kim Smith is the New York Times best-selling illustrator of over 30 picture books, including her first authored/illustrated book, Boxitects (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Harper Collins). Other books she has illustrated include the Builder Brothers picture book series (HarperCollins), the PopClassics picture book adaptations of popular films including Back to the Future, The Karate Kid, and Elf (Quirk Books), and the Ice Chips chapter book series (HarperCollins Canada). In addition to illustrating picture books, Kim has also worked on children’s games, puzzles, animation, 3D displays, posters, and magazines. When she’s not busy illustrating, Kim spends most of her time exploring and painting in the great outdoors. She lives in Calgary, Canada” (Bio from Kim Smith’s website).
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Naveen, a young boy, loves to bake. He’d even go as far as claiming he’s a master baker, which is why he’s so excited about his maker class’s baking competition at Baker Makers Lab. Despite his confident attitude about his confection being the best of them all, Naveen is disappointed when he struggles with perfectionism in the middle of the competition. While his actions and imagination fight for control, Naveen must persevere and work to create a solution that does his imagination justice. Dealing with both his personal expectations and his desire to succeed, Naveen reflects on his thoughts and the actions of those that surround him to create a delicious dessert that he can take pride in.
I really enjoyed a lot of aspects of this picture book, but the art initially caught my eye. Filled with stunning and colorful images, Baker Makers is perfect for young readers who focus on illustrations just as much as they focus on the storyline. You can tell that Smith is primarily an illustrator by her clear and bold illustrations. Some of my favorite images from the book were of the different cakes and desserts the kids were imagining—they instantly made me remember the ridiculous things I would conjure up in my mind when I was younger. I also really enjoyed the discussion of perfectionism and how that can cause people to hyperfixate on certain details and dampen the enjoyment of trying new things. Despite my enjoyment of the art and the general themes of the book, I did have a small issue with the writing. There was something a bit odd-sounding about the language used in some areas of the story that might be due to regional differences or personal preference. That being said, I don’t anticipate this issue translating to young readers. The language is clear and attainable for the intended age range, which I really enjoyed seeing, since writing for younger age groups can often sound forced and unnatural. Overall, Baker Makers is perfect for parents to read to their children and can serve as a reminder that everyone has a beautiful imagination that can be brought to life!
Pine Reads Review would like to thank Kim Smith for sending us a copy of Baker Makers in exchange for an honest review.
Vanshikha Vij, Pine Reads Review Writer