English & Spanish
4-8 years
Latinx Families
Perseverance
Cooking
Intergenerational Stories
Hobbies
Social-Emotional Learning
Ana Siqueira & Geraldine Rodríguez
summary
Have I cried because a cake overflowed in my oven while baking? Sure have. And then I went to the grocery store at 11pm for more eggs so I could make it again. The point of this anecdote is to say that, Bella, I get it girl. I wanna be perfect too.
In Bella’s Recipe for Success, Bella is frustrated because the rest of her family is perfect at something. Deciding to bake some delicious cookies perfectly, Bella and her Abuela get busy in the kitchen. But will it turn out?
This story not only has a cookie recipe in the back (which you can see my handiwork in the photos making it) but it also models progress instead of perfection for readers. As a former classroom teacher, I’ve seen many times the frustration and refusal to do something less than perfect. I am also definitely that person, I like to do things fastidiously. Besides the fact that perfectionism is an aspect of white supremacy culture, it’s also unrealistic. Particularly perfection on the first try at something. Bella’s Recipe for Success can open up readers and entire classrooms to discussions about encouraging others to keep trying, to keep individual expectations reasonable, and to try new things even if others are going to be better at it than we are.
This book was kindly sent by Beaming Books, but all opinions are my own!
Ana Siqueira
Ana Siqueira is from Rio, Brasil, where she is an award-winning published author. In 1992, she moved to the United States where she teaches Spanish to elementary children. She has published a Spanish book for the educational market, El Pato Quiere Uvas, published by Teacher’s Discovery. Ana is also an Abuela and she loves playing with her grandkids, reading, writing, and cooking. She has never learned how to bake…yet. She lives in Florida with her husband and with her college-aged son. She has four kids and five grandkids. Her favorite things in life are family, books, and chocolate.
Geraldine Rodríguez
Geraldine Rodríguez is a Mexican illustrator and digital artist who enjoys telling stories through colors and lines. In addition to Bella’s Recipe for Success, Geraldine is the illustrator of Cinco de Mayo and the Adventures of Samuel Oliver series.