Eleanor the Cook

by Ellie Kirk

Eleanor the Cook knows there is no one quite so invisible as a small, poor, plain orphan girl. But Eleanor also knows how to make an ordinary meal magical. Her food thaws hardened hearts, freshens weary minds, and adds sparkle to drab souls. Unfortunately, Eleanor’s cooking only works for others, never for herself. She can’t stir up a sauce that would grant her heart’s desire—a family all her own. Instead of wishing on stars and waiting to be rescued, Eleanor makes the most of what she has and who she is. She comes face-to-face with ogres and dragons, joins the circus, befriends a sweet (if somewhat dense) nobleman, and outsmarts a band of bloodthirsty warlords. But will her adventures lead Eleanor to the family of her dreams?

168 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2013

Reviews

[Elena Santangelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleanor the Cook is one of the most delightful childrens' books I've read in years. It's a perfect first chapter book, but also great to read aloud to younger children. At heart, it's a traditional fairy tale, but loaded with humor, imagination, and memorable characters, beautifully illustrated by Megan Richards.

Like most heroines of fairy tales, Eleanor, is a poor orphan, treated badly by those around her, when they remember that she exists at all. Yet, everyone loves her cooking. What they don't realizes is that she can literally work magic with food. She adds special ingredients to her recipes that can change the lives of others. The problem is, the magic doesn't work on herself, so she can't change her own meager life. All she's ever dreamed of is finding a family to call her own. But Eleanor doesn't sit around feeling sorry for herself, waiting for a fairy godmother or Prince Charming.

Highly recommended.

UPDATE: Just re-read this by having my Kindle read it aloud to me. Still comes through as an enjoyable and excellent story. Looking forward to Kirk's newest, Bonnie Bailey and the Faire of Worlds.

[Mary Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful story, incredibly well written, and is both whimsical and poignant at the same time, with a fantastic good and evil perspective. It tells a sweet story about a wonderful orphan who has some secret talents regarding many things, but probably the most outstanding is her special cooking. She meets friends along the way that she rescues and prevents others from harming them. She also befriends a nobleman and has other amazing adventures and experiences. She is truly a hero and someone who you wish you were friends with because of her perspective.

It’s very engaging, exciting, and moves along very well. The story shows the young readers, and anyone who reads it, the importance of looking beyond a person’s exterior to see what they are really made of to find the truth. There are also recipes at the end for delicious snacks that you can make. And the moral of the story was absolutely brilliant and really could help us to make sense out of our lives in the world today. Well done!!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a draft of this book aloud to my daughter, who was eight at the time. Each night, she hounded me for the next chapter.

I'll write more when I've reread it, as I know I can't do it justice right now. I just know that I was thrilled to be able to buy it for my daughter and for my six-year-old son.