The Little Chefs

August 15, 2024
Prolific author and illustrator Wells returns with three stories of kitchen disasters saved by the Little Chefs. In the first tale, when a kitten named Sylvie burns the chicken pot pie she made as a surprise for her mama, she uses the tiny hidden phone in the kitchen to call the Little Chefs, tiny humans, diverse in terms of hair and skin color. They "whip up a supper fit for a queen" before disappearing quickly, leaving a clean kitchen in their wake. The Little Chefs show up in the next two stories to help Leo, a young porcupine who makes a mess while attempting to prepare French toast and raspberry meringue for his father, and then Oscar, a bunny who uses salt instead of sugar while making a cake for his sister, Pearl. The main characters are darling, anthropomorphized animals, reminiscent of characters in Wells' past work. Each entry begins with a little blurb titled "Little Chefs in History" that offers a related culinary anecdote. The rhyming refrain of the Little Chefs' call ties all three tales together, though they can also be enjoyed individually. Adults will appreciate the glorious idea of a salvaged meal, and children will delight in the wonder of tiny cooks who visit from a faraway land and disappear without a trace. Pure magic.(Picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from August 19, 2024
Hidden in every kitchen, Wells (On the Night Before Kindergarten) promises in
this charming three-tale collection, is a wall-concealed telephone that can summon a team of “small and clever” toque-wearing human chefs, portrayed with various skin tones, to rescue cooks in need of help. Watercolor-and-ink illustrations first depict Sylvie the kitten, flummoxed by feast preparations for her mother; then rodent Leo, whose French toast with raspberry meringue is a hot mess; and finally Oscar the bunny, whose birthday cake tastes like “week-old fish sticks.” Traveling to kitchen catastrophes via jet packs, a
zeppelin, and a rocket, the diminutive chefs provide top-notch culinary skills as well as comfort, wiping tears, patting hands, and even talking Oscar “down from his pillar
of grief.” Unlike much cooking media, these stories don’t wallow in angst or score points at the protagonists’ expense. Instead, they admire each cook’s aspirations and determination, while providing a dash of magic and a whisk of expertise. After all, “there’s trouble in the world,/ in kitchens big and small./ Omelets burn in Memphis./ Sauces curdle in St. Paul.” Inset boxes titled “Little Chefs in History” appear throughout. Ages 4–8.