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A review by waclements7
The Mice of Bistrot des Sept Frères by Marie Letourneau
4.0
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
+++CONTAINS CHEESY SPOLERS+++
An ARC was received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which is entirely my opinion.
This is a charmingly illustrated story incorporating the use of French into the storytelling—there is even a page of French vocabulary at the beginning. It is not overwhelming, and adds fun to the telling rather than detracting from it—what child wouldn't like to add a couple of words of French to their vocabulary to use on their unsuspecting parents? (If another person is reading the story to them, that is, if they are not reading it on their own?)
The story centers on the Head Chef, the father of the seven brothers after which the Parisian restaurant is named, and his famous cheese soup, known for being the best of all cheese soups in France. Why is his soup so special? The secret ingredient, which only he knows. The arrival of a notice that a renowned food critic will be arriving at the bistro in—zut alors!--an hour's time to taste this famed cheese soup sends the kitchen into a frenzy; the Head Chef has his sons recite the recipe for cheese soup, then heads out to the shops for his secret ingredient.
Now, in the introduction of all the brothers in the beginning of the story, the very last introduction is of the daughter, Michelle, who is very, very quiet (as a mouse?), loves ballet, and helps out here and there. She is also, it appears, the calm-headed one. She folds the napkins while her older brothers rush about in the kitchen, and everything she does has a dancer's serene-like grace to it.
The hour is almost up, and still their father has not returned. In one of my favorite illustrations in the story, everything in the kitchen goes wild after the announcement the food critic has arrived, the crescendo ending in a topsy-turvy scene of flying vegetables, dropped crockery, and frantic mousy panic. In dances Michelle, adding ingredients to the soup in a very precise fashion.
After tasting it, the food critic declares it the very best cheese soup, not just in France, but in the whole world. Michelle is the hero. My very favorite scene is her father adding “et une Soeur” at the name of the restaurant, while the ballet school practices above the restaurant.
There are many things to like about this book: the storytelling, the whimsically delightful illustrations, the incorporation of a new (to some) language, and the funny rush to get the soup made before the food critic arrives. I was pleased that it was the daughter who remained composed about fixing the soup and also didn't make a huge deal of it.
Michelle is the highlight of the story, and her character is one that is good for both girls and boys to see; even now, in 2014, girls need to be given confidence that they are capable of doing great things, and boys need to be reminded of that fact. In families this is especially important, and here it expands beyond just being a girl, but to being the quiet one as well—especially in a large family—encourage the quiet ones in your family, give them the self-confidence to be able to make the decisions they need to. Because, someday, their decisions could have a profound impact on your life as well, in a good way, as the story shows. Michelle being around the restaurant, and her brothers and father, and observing them, taught her a lot when they thought, perhaps, she was just “being Michelle.” They accepted her being there, helping when she could, and when they needed her, there she was—and they weren't even aware that it was her they needed. I don't mean to sound preachy in the slightest, it very well could have been the littlest brother, but it wasn't. And “Les Bistrot les Sept Frères et une Soeur” just has a nice ring to it.
There's a note in the back of the book to check the publisher's website if you want to try to make the same soup the mice in Paris did and see for yourself if the soup is just as delicious. Is it? There's only one way to find out! Read the book and find the note...
+++CONTAINS CHEESY SPOLERS+++
An ARC was received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which is entirely my opinion.
This is a charmingly illustrated story incorporating the use of French into the storytelling—there is even a page of French vocabulary at the beginning. It is not overwhelming, and adds fun to the telling rather than detracting from it—what child wouldn't like to add a couple of words of French to their vocabulary to use on their unsuspecting parents? (If another person is reading the story to them, that is, if they are not reading it on their own?)
The story centers on the Head Chef, the father of the seven brothers after which the Parisian restaurant is named, and his famous cheese soup, known for being the best of all cheese soups in France. Why is his soup so special? The secret ingredient, which only he knows. The arrival of a notice that a renowned food critic will be arriving at the bistro in—zut alors!--an hour's time to taste this famed cheese soup sends the kitchen into a frenzy; the Head Chef has his sons recite the recipe for cheese soup, then heads out to the shops for his secret ingredient.
Now, in the introduction of all the brothers in the beginning of the story, the very last introduction is of the daughter, Michelle, who is very, very quiet (as a mouse?), loves ballet, and helps out here and there. She is also, it appears, the calm-headed one. She folds the napkins while her older brothers rush about in the kitchen, and everything she does has a dancer's serene-like grace to it.
The hour is almost up, and still their father has not returned. In one of my favorite illustrations in the story, everything in the kitchen goes wild after the announcement the food critic has arrived, the crescendo ending in a topsy-turvy scene of flying vegetables, dropped crockery, and frantic mousy panic. In dances Michelle, adding ingredients to the soup in a very precise fashion.
After tasting it, the food critic declares it the very best cheese soup, not just in France, but in the whole world. Michelle is the hero. My very favorite scene is her father adding “et une Soeur” at the name of the restaurant, while the ballet school practices above the restaurant.
There are many things to like about this book: the storytelling, the whimsically delightful illustrations, the incorporation of a new (to some) language, and the funny rush to get the soup made before the food critic arrives. I was pleased that it was the daughter who remained composed about fixing the soup and also didn't make a huge deal of it.
Michelle is the highlight of the story, and her character is one that is good for both girls and boys to see; even now, in 2014, girls need to be given confidence that they are capable of doing great things, and boys need to be reminded of that fact. In families this is especially important, and here it expands beyond just being a girl, but to being the quiet one as well—especially in a large family—encourage the quiet ones in your family, give them the self-confidence to be able to make the decisions they need to. Because, someday, their decisions could have a profound impact on your life as well, in a good way, as the story shows. Michelle being around the restaurant, and her brothers and father, and observing them, taught her a lot when they thought, perhaps, she was just “being Michelle.” They accepted her being there, helping when she could, and when they needed her, there she was—and they weren't even aware that it was her they needed. I don't mean to sound preachy in the slightest, it very well could have been the littlest brother, but it wasn't. And “Les Bistrot les Sept Frères et une Soeur” just has a nice ring to it.
There's a note in the back of the book to check the publisher's website if you want to try to make the same soup the mice in Paris did and see for yourself if the soup is just as delicious. Is it? There's only one way to find out! Read the book and find the note...