Minette's Feast

March 19, 2012
Modest in scope, this cozy biography of Julia Child uses her cat, Minette, to introduce the master chef to young audiences. The tortoiseshell stray hangs around the edges of the first few spreads that depict Julia and her husband exploring Paris. Reich’s (Painting the Wild Frontier) lyrical prose is playful; its rhythmic and sometimes alliterative language quickly advances the lighthearted tale. Julia “baked and blanched, blended and boiled, drained and dried, dusted and fried,” and, later, the picky Minette (after sampling one of Julia’s creations) “frisked and flounced.... danced and pranced.”
The author admittedly takes literary license with some details, such as the implication that Julia takes classes at Le Cordon Bleu in order to meet Minette’s finicky tastes. The hues of Bates’s (Bear in the Air) muted watercolors—buttery yellows, golds, and slate blue-greens—lend a French feel, as does an early painting of Minette in which she’s made to resemble the feline from Steinlen’s
famous “Chat Noir” poster. This charming portrait concludes with a glossary of French words, an afterword, and author notes. Ages 4–8. Agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, McIntosh & Otis. Illustrator’s agent: Shannon Associates.

Starred review from April 1, 2012
Reich lures children into the scrumptious Parisian world of the legendary chef Julia Child with the story of her mouse-loving cat, Minette. It's a funny thought: The now-famous American gourmet painstakingly prepares duck pates and cheese souffles with the freshest French ingredients when all her cat really wants to eat is raw mouse: "How delightful the crunch of fresh-caught mouse, devoured on the living room rug!" Even if readers have never heard of Julia Child or the delightful interlude she and her husband Paul shared in Paris in the late 1940s, the joy of an enthusiastic food-lover in the kitchen is palpable: "She floured and flipped, pitted and plucked, rinsed and roasted, sizzled and skimmed." Bates' inventively composed kitchen- and marketscapes in warm watercolors and pencil capture this joy as well, as readers see the very-tall, very-cheerful cook in action. The atmospheric narrative is festive, fresh and festooned with quotations from Julia and Paul's letters, as well as from Child's memoir, My Life in France (2006). As revealed in the afterword, Minette Mimosa McWilliams Child was an actual adopted tortoiseshell cat, the first of many cats for the loving couple. A fine recipe for pleasure: Julia Child, the culinary arts, Paris and a lucky cat. Magnifique! (afterword, notes, sources, glossary and pronunciation guide, author's note) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

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Starred review from June 1, 2012

Gr 2-4-Using quotations from source materials that include Child's autobiography and letters, Reich crafts the story of how the addition of the new family cat coincided with the woman's first steps toward her magnificent culinary career. As she visits the markets, begins classes at Le Cordon Bleu, and experiments with a new recipe, Minette is there at her heels. Sophisticated cat that she is, she is often shown in a svelte feline pose (even on a chair at the dinner table) except for a spread on which she pounces on a leftover bone. Besides the cat's antics, the text also describes the markets, cooking smells, and ambience of Paris so well that it is easy to see how Child was inspired to write Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Using a color palette similar to Toulouse-Lautrec's paintings, Bates's pencil and watercolor illustrations support this feast for the senses.-Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2012
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* Minette Mimosa McWilliams Child was . . . perhaps the luckiest cat in all of Paris. Reich finds an easy and appealing way into the biography of Julia Child through a tortoiseshell cat who got to smell delicious smells and nibble exquisite stews (though mouse was always preferred). The book begins with Julia and husband Paul wandering arm in arm though Paris; huddled against a doorway is the yet-to-be-named Minette. And when she comes to live with the Childs ( A house without a cat is like life without sunshine ), the couple is charmed. Meanwhile, Julia is learning to cook, finding out how to tell a good potato from a bad one, and buying enough knives to fill a pirate ship. Finally, she is ready to make that one special dishand Minette is ready to dig in. Bates' illustrations work marvelously well with this charming conceit. The pen-and-watercolor pictures have the required retro look for the time and place but never lose sight of Minette, who is an important part of Julia's cooking journey. Those who suppose that Minette was created for this book will find in the notes the sources for most of the cat-centered incidents, along with quotations.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)