In the Night Kitchen (Caldecott Collection) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I didn't want to give this book five stars. I fought against it, because I don't particularly enjoy the book. The illustrations aren't that attractive to me and it took me a while to get used to the rhythm of the words.
Having said that, I give this book five stars because my daughter LOVES this book. I sometimes have to hide it at night because I'm so tired of reading the "Mickey" book. Apparently Sendak knows an awful lot about what children like and how their minds work, because my daughter seldom tires of the story. (Her favorite part is when Mickey takes the measuring cup and goes up and up over the Milky Way.)
I'm honestly a little surprised over the "nekkid" controversy. It's not like the boy is drawn in explicit detail! My daughter's seen boy babies getting their diapers changed, so the concept of a penis is HARDLY frightening/startling/damaging to her. Geez, lighten up people!
Also, for those who were complaining about the concept of cake for breakfast, why don't we consider how many American children get French toast, pancakes, donuts, poptarts, or sugar-coated cereals for breakfast? Hardly nutritionally superior to cake, so I'm not lying in bed at night obsessing about the poor nutritional messages this book is sending to my child. :-)

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1971 Caldecott Honor BookNotable Children's Books of 1940--1970 (ALA)Best Books of 1970 (SLJ)Outstanding Children's Books of 1970 (NYT)Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1970 (NYT)Children's Books of 1970 (Library of Congress)Carey-Thomas Award 1971--Honor CitationBrooklyn Art Books for Children 1973, 1975

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Georgia's Kitchen Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After a terrible review (as the result of her idiot boss seducing the reviewer's barely legal daughter), head chef Georgia is out of a job and quickly finds herself without a fiancé as well. Seems the coke-addicted entertainment lawyer she intended to marry (even though she had a few doubts) feels their commitment drove him to drugs. Smartly, Georgia doesn't buy it and encourages the split; it's time to focus on her career and starting a restaurant of her own. It was incredibly refreshing to read a book with a female protagonist who didn't fall apart and who didn't do the happily ever after (yes, she does briefly flee to Italy for work, but her job options were minimal in New York); Georgia indulges romantically, but the restaurant becomes her focus as soon as the fiancé is out of the picture. Georgia later has a great conservation with her soon-to-be business partner where she tells him how she realized in Italy that she can be alone and that it's okay to ask for help.
The dialogue is great as are the relationships. The dynamic between Grammy (Dorothy's deceased mom) and Dorothy (Georgia's mom) and Georgia is incredibly well done.
Copy received from the publisher.

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At thirty-three, talented chef Georgia Gray has everything a woman could want—the top job at one of Manhattan's best restaurants; a posse of smart and savvy gal pals who never let her down; and a platinum-set, cushion-cut diamond engagement ring courtesy of Glenn, the handsome entertainment lawyer who Georgia's overbearing mother can't wait for her to marry. The table is set for the ambitious bride-to-be until a scathing restaurant review destroys her reputation. To add salt to her wounds, Glenn suddenly calls off the wedding. Brokenhearted, Georgia escapes to the Italian countryside, where she sharpens her skills at a trattoria run by a world-class chef who seems to have it all—a devoted lover, a magnificent villa, and most important, a kitchen of her own. Georgia quells her longings with Italy's delectable offerings: fine wine, luscious cheeses, cerulean blue skies, and irresistible Gianni—an expert in the vineyard and the bedroom. So when Gianni tempts Georgia to stay in Italy with an offer no sane top chef could refuse, why can't she say yes? An appetite for something more looms large in Georgia's heart – the desire to run her own restaurant in the city she loves. But having left New York with her career in flames, she'll need to stir up more than just courage if she's to realize her dreams and find her way home.

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