Julia Child: An Extraordinary Life in Words and Pictures

Gr 3–6—This fascinating work covers the life of chef, author, and TV personality Julia Child. Readers are introduced to young Julia, an engaging girl with a healthy appetite and a zest for life. After boarding school, she followed in her mother's footsteps, attending Smith College in Massachusetts. Julia had fun at Smith while giving little thought to her future. In the 1930s, most women either didn't have careers at all or chose from very limited, acceptable options, but "Julia didn't want to be a nurse or a secretary—she didn't know what she wanted to be." Deemed too tall at 6'2" to join the navy, Julia later worked at the Office of War Information and held other government jobs around the world. While in Ceylon, Julia met Paul Child, a painter, photographer, and gourmand. They married, and Paul's job took the couple to Paris. There, Julia ate the "most exciting meal of my life" and became determined to learn all she could about French cooking. By then in her late thirties, she enrolled in the renowned cooking school Le Cordon Bleu and found her passion. She spent her remaining years testing recipes, writing cookbooks and memoirs, and producing her famous television show on public broadcasting. The full-page color, realistic illustrations interspersed throughout bring the text to life. The writing is lively and intriguing, much like the subject, and will appeal to a wide audience. Julia's is an inspiring story, reminding readers that it's never too late to learn and that success often follows a circuitous path.