THE COOKIE MAKER OF MAVIN ROAD

Benedict Stanley lives with his cat, Audrey Mae, on Mavin Road.

Benedict and Audrey’s neighbors are always too distracted to return their morning greetings. One day, however, a child named Rory compliments Audrey and informs them that the tooth fairy will be visiting that night. In celebration, Benedict gets out his wife’s old cookbook and bakes a batch of cookies. (Benedict’s wife is absent from the story.) In the morning, they deliver the cookies to Rory, whose gap-toothed smile matches the design on the desserts. From then on, Benedict and Audrey make it a point to bake cookies for all the special occasions in the neighborhood: births, soccer games, kitten rescues, etc. They never take credit, though, so the neighbors do not know Benedict’s secret identity as Mavin Road’s premiere baker. The baking continues until one day Benedict falls ill, and the cookies stop. At last, the residents of Mavin Road figure out Benedict’s identity as the road’s kind baker—and decide to return his kindness with some of their own. The book’s whimsical illustrations, full of wobbly lines, comfortably off-kilter angles, and childlike character stylings, delightfully complement the book’s gentle storyline. They depict a bustling, joyously diverse neighborhood; Benedict and Rory both present White. Although the plot is full of heart, the protagonists lack characterization, rendering the text pleasant but not altogether engrossing. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

From Australia, a sweet but predictable picture book about kindness and community.