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Overview
Ollie is not the best at anything in second grade, but he does love to cook. When the famous Chef Antonia comes to visit, he can't wait! Will he finally be the best in the class?
Synopsis
Ollie is not the best at anything in second grade, but he does love to cook. When the famous Chef Antonia comes to visit, he can't wait! Will he finally be the best in the class?
Children's Literature
Poor Ollie! He really wants to be the best at something in his second grade class, but he has not discovered his special talent yet. Meanwhile, Ollie and his classmates in Mr. Hopper s room are eagerly anticipating a visitor to their classroom on Friday. It is Chef Antonia, star of a television cooking show, and she will be cooking for Mr. Hopper s class. The students are also going to prepare their family s favorite food and bring it to class for Chef Antonia. Ollie is an avid fan of Chef Antonia. Although he loves to cook, Ollie must figure out what his family s favorite dish is in order to bring it for the visit. When Friday finally arrives, Ollie nervously brings in his family s favorite food, and he wonders how Chef Antonia will react when she takes off the cover to see what s inside the pan. The food in the pan is not the only surprise in the story. Colorful illustrations add to the enjoyment of this story which is part of the I Can Read! series for developing readers. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung
Editorials
Children's Literature
Poor Ollie! He really wants to be the best at something in his second grade class, but he has not discovered his special talent yet. Meanwhile, Ollie and his classmates in Mr. Hopper’s room are eagerly anticipating a visitor to their classroom on Friday. It is Chef Antonia, star of a television cooking show, and she will be cooking for Mr. Hopper’s class. The students are also going to prepare their family’s favorite food and bring it to class for Chef Antonia. Ollie is an avid fan of Chef Antonia. Although he loves to cook, Ollie must figure out what his family’s favorite dish is in order to bring it for the visit. When Friday finally arrives, Ollie nervously brings in his family’s favorite food, and he wonders how Chef Antonia will react when she takes off the cover to see what’s inside the pan. The food in the pan is not the only surprise in the story. Colorful illustrations add to the enjoyment of this story which is part of the “I Can Read!” series for developing readers. Reviewer: Carrie Hane HungSchool Library Journal
K-Gr 2
This easy reader is more predictable and contrived than this team's The Best Seat in Second Grade (HarperCollins, 2005). Ollie yearns to be the best at something. When assigned to cook his family's favorite dish to surprise a television chef visiting his classroom, he sees a chance to excel. But unfortunately, he cannot find a dish that everyone agrees upon. Finally, he asks his family to name their favorite foods, and he creates a colorful macaroni-and-cheese dish that wins the chef's praise. One has to wonder why he didn't ask his family in the first place and avoid all the frustration. Also, Ollie's parents don't supervise his use of a hot oven, which seems ill-advised. Carter's pleasing watercolor illustrations are the highlight here, especially the scenes of Ollie's warm, African-American family. Fans of the previous books may enjoy visiting with Mr. Hopper and his students, but, for most, this title is an additional purchase.
—Barbara KatzCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.