Sweet Books for Your Budding Chocolatier
by Tom Burns
There are a few universal truths when it comes to childhood. “No callbacks” is legally binding. Farts are always funny. And chocolate is one of the best things in the world. If your child is a card-carrying chocoholic — the kind that prefers s’mores without the superfluous graham crackers and marshmallows — here are a few sumptuously sweet books they’re sure to eat up.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Available from:This one is a no-brainer. Yes, it’s arguably the most famous chocolate-themed book in the world, but all too often, people only pay attention to the Oompa Loompas and the mild child endangerment and forget all about Charlie and Grandpa Joe’s pure, unabiding love of chocolate. This is a book that reminds kids that chocolate can be beautiful. Sure, if you overindulge (a la Augustus Gloop), it can get gross, but, if you truly treasure each bite, like the Bucket family did, chocolate can be a little slice of heaven on Earth.
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The Chocolate Touch
This funny chapter book classic offers kids a clever spin on the King Midas legend that, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, argues that chocolate is best enjoyed in moderation. John Midas wishes he could eat nothing but chocolate, but, when that wish comes true and everything he touches turns into his favorite food, he quickly learns the true meaning of “too much of a good thing.”
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This Book Is Not Good for You
Pseudonymous Bosch’s “Secret Series” creates mysterious adventures based around the human body’s five senses. The third volume, This Book Is Not Good for You, is focused on “taste” and what’s better to taste than chocolate? The young mystery-solving sleuths, Cass and Max-Ernest, are trying to find Cass’s abducted mother and their investigations lead them to a secret chocolate plantation. Expect lots of darkly funny, Lemony Snicket-esque wordplay and some fun chocolate recipes in the back of the book.
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No Monkeys, No Chocolate
Available from:What’s the only thing kids love more than chocolate? Monkeys. And did you know that monkeys actually play a role in the creation of chocolate? (True story.) If you want to blow your chocolate-loving kid’s mind, show them this fascinating nonfiction picture book that explains the symbiotic relationship between monkeys and cocoa trees in the wild. The authors make the lifecycle of the cocoa bean engaging and easy to understand and plus … monkeys! Your kid will love it.
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Chocolate Fever
Available from:Like so many children’s book protagonists, Henry Green is obsessed with chocolate. However, what distinguishes Henry from his peers is that he might be the first kid ever to be diagnosed with a full-blown case of chocolate fever. He breaks out in a chocolate rash and goes on the run in a hijacked truck full of chocolate bars. A funny, timeless tale perfect for elementary school kids with a sweet tooth.
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Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory
Remember what we said earlier about chocolate and monkeys? Well, you can guess what happens when the most famous monkey in all of children’s literature visits his local confectionary. A new George tale told in the style of the original Rey books, it’s a fun read for younger chocolate lovers.
