Carla and the Christmas Cornbread

by Carla Hall, Cherise Harris (Illustrator)

In this heartwarming tale inspired by her childhood, superstar chef and TV host Carla Hall shares the story of young Carla, who eats a sugar cookie meant for Santa on the night before Christmas and tries to make things right.Christmas is Carla’s favorite holiday of the year. She goes to her grandparents’ house and eats grandma’s special recipe—a perfectly delicious cornbread. She listens to her grandpa Doc’s marvelous stories about traveling the world. And, best of all, she spends lots of time with her family. But when Carla accidentally takes a bite out of Santa’s sugar cookie, she thinks she’s ruined Christmas. How will Santa know to stop at their house if they don’t leave him a midnight snack? With her grandmother’s help, Carla comes up with a plan, but will it be enough to save Christmas?

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Food, Holiday, Family, Childrens, Fiction

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2021

About the author

Five days a week Carla Hall bursts into your kitchens as the co-host of ABC’s talk show “The Chew.” Carla has never considered doing anything more than following her heart. From accountant to model to caterer to talk show host, life is a journey, and every wrong turn leads to a right.

After graduating college with an Accounting degree Carla moved to Europe to pursue a modeling career which ultimately led her to discovering her true calling as a chef.

While Carla didn’t start cooking professionally until she was well into her 20’s, her recipes reflect those classic dishes from her childhood growing up in Nashville, TN surrounded by soul food cooked from the heart. Her culinary philosophy is all about keeping it simple and flavorful. (“If you don’t know how to perfectly roast a chicken, that’s where you need to start in the kitchen.”)

Inside and out of the kitchen, Carla believes that you have to, “Say Yes! Adventure follows, then growth.”

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carla, her mother, and her sister visit their grandparents for Christmas every year and to eat the best cornbread in the world (her granny’s). This year, they leave cornbread instead of a cookie for Santa. There are even recipes for Carla’ s cornbread and cinnamon butter. Yummy! Vibrant illustrations. 4.5 stars.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tasty treat of a book tells of young Carla's efforts to correct a mistake she makes while visiting her grandmother's house for Christmas. After a fun day filled with travel and yummy food with her family, Carla takes a bite from a delicious-looking sugar cookie. When she discovers that cookie was for Santa, she is heart-broken and afraid that Santa won't be coming after all. But with Granny's help, Carla makes a new treat for Santa, hoping it will be enough. This sweet story about correcting mistakes and family love and support makes for a delightful read. The author, a skilled chef, includes a yummy-sounding cornbread and cinnamon butter recipe for readers to try. A fun tale of family traditions that makes for a comfortable and enjoyable read.

[DeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so beautifully written and illustrated for kids and adults alike. This is Chef Carla Hall's first children's book...well done. The Christmas cornbread made for Santa by Grandma and Lil' Carla was "made with love.'

5 heart-warming stars!!!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of Carla Hall, she just seems to delight in everything food related. And I remember her talking about her granny when she was on The Chew, so I was pleased when I heard Carla had written a picture book her Granny's cornbread, because like Carla, cornbread is one of my favorite things to eat. The tradition of Christmas cornbread began one year when young Carla, her sister Kim and their mother headed over to Granny's house on Christmas Eve. It was an evening full of excitement, Christmas songs, dinner with Granny, her grandfather Doc, and, of course, cornbread. Later, after changing into pajamas, Carla noticed a sugar cookie complete with icing and sprinkles, which she immediately took a big bite of. Uh oh, that was a cookie for Santa. Feeling terrible about she had done, Carla was sure she was now on Santa's naughty list. But when Granny calls her back into the kitchen, she has an idea - why not make a special cornbread for Santa, after all, he gets so many cookies on Christmas Eve, but probably doesn't get any cornbread. But will Santa like it? Carla discovers the answer the next day in a note from Santa himself. This is such an uplifting, inspiring story about a close-knit Black family, and the Granny that Carla always talked about comes shining through. Santa is depicted here as Black, and there is some bonus back matter - the recipe for Carla's Christmas Cornbread and the Cinnamon Butter to go with it, which I can't wait to try.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy a good Christmas story, and I love chef Carla Hall. So when I saw she was writing a Christmas children's book, I had to pick it up. Hall combines her love of writing, Christmas, kids, and food in a cute little picture book that centers around her grandmother's cornbread recipe. Partly a memoir, Hall recalls the Christmas' that she, her mother, and her sister would travel to her grandmother's. There would always be a fresh batch of cornbread made just for Carla. In this particular memory, Carla got a little excited and scarfed down a cookie that was meant for a jolly fellow one Christmas eve. With no more cookies in the house and the jolly man's visit fast approaching, Carla's family had to come up with a quick replacement. What could you imagine would be the answer to the dilemma so close to Santa's visit?

[Tiffany T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got my kids to agree to baking and eating cornbread with honey! Great for picky eaters.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

And now I would like to add cornbread to my holiday baking list...

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wordy but wholesome. A girl visit's her grandparents' house, along with the rest of her family, for Christmas. Her grandmother makes the best cornbread.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas takes on a loving twist in a tale, which takes a familiar situation and mistake, and shows how a little love and effort help Christmas magic flow.

Carla can't wait to get to Grandma's house. It's Christmas Eve and, better yet, cornbread is on the menu. Grandma's cornbread is the best, and Carla loves to watch her make it. When Carla is about to turn in for the night, a pretty cookie on the table draws her attention, and she takes a nibble. And while it is yummy, she soon discovers that it's the cookie meant for Santa...and she just stole his cookie.

I had to smile while reading this one because it reminded me of a couple Christmases in my own family. Carla's excitement for something as simple as cornbread is so familiar...it's not always the gifts kids love. And when she makes the honest mistake of eating Santa's cookie, her guilt touches the heart. For her, Christmas is as good as ruined, and this is something young readers will identify with. Of course, this doesn't end on a bad note, though.

The family relationship is wholesome and strong. The love between the grandmother and her grandchildren is heart-warming and wakes memories in readers. I love how we get to see the cornbread sizzling in the pan...almost making the smell and sounds real. The grandmother's solution to Carla's problem illustrates love in every respect and shows that mistakes can be corrected. To round everything off, there's a lovely recipe at the end, so that the reader can make the Christmas Cornbread themselves. It's a rounded read for the holidays.
I received a complimentary copy and loved the natural feel of this one

[LaVonne Hanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gr. K-3. Best-selling cookbook author and Food Network star Carla Hall serves up soulful Christmas memories in this picture book inspired by her Tennessee childhood. When young Carla accidentally takes a bite from Santa’s sugar cookie, she’s afraid she’s ruined Christmas – until her beloved grandmother helps her whip up another treat, her special cornbread. Lovingly illustrated by Cherise Harris, this family pleaser includes Carla’s cornbread recipe and baking instructions. Find more activities from Simon & Schuster at https://d1hbl61hovme3a.cloudfront.net... Simon Kids also shares “Learn How Make Cornbread with Carla Hall” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgcPr... and a read-aloud by the author at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SWgo... Adult fans will enjoy an interview with the celebrity chef from “The View” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-hNV...

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching little story based around one family recipe, a family tradition. Carla, her sister, and her mother go to her grandparents to spend the night on Christmas Eve. She tells her grandma she can’t wait for the Christmas cornbread to be ready. From the cast-iron pan left in te oven to heat to the sound of the sizzles and pops as Grandma pours the batter into the pan, word pictures are painted throughout the story. But speaking of pictures, the illustrations are bright and colorful, friendly and appealing.
The Christmas cornbread that Carla’s grandma makes sounds so good that I have to put my own forty-year-old recipe aside and try this one.
This book is great as a read-aloud or as a Christmas story for new readers. It is also ideal for teaching memory writing to older students as it focuses on one key thing, the cornbread, supported by the lead-in and aftermath of the holiday celebration.

[Georgina Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching story of an African American family Christmas celebration! Like many children, Carla is excited to celebrate Christmas with her family at her grandmother's house. An unexpected mistake leads Carla to help her grandmother make a special batch of Christmas cornbread and give Santa an unforgettable treat. Everyone gives Santa cookies, maybe this time he would like something different.

This book celebrates family traditions, delicious meals and helps kids learn how to solve problems in creative ways. Sometimes the outcome turns out better than the original plan. If your family makes a special treat for Christmas, what kind of food would you give to Santa? The pictures are delightful, and these images of this happy family celebrating together will resonate with all readers.

At the end of the book, readers can find recipes to make their own special Christmas cornbread with cinnamon butter. Destined to become a new holiday classic!

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I told myself I was going to stop logging books for the year, but then stopped into the library on this snowy morning for a mental health break to do my favorite thing: read children's books.

This book, "Carla and the Christmas Cornbread," couldn't have been better. I was sold as soon as I saw the cover on the library's holiday-themed shelf. I really appreciated its rhythm, storytelling, representation, and illustrations. It felt so homey and reminded me of the best kind of family gatherings: simple, warm, and together. My rating was going to be 4.5, but I love a book with a recipe at the end, so that bumped it up to an "A+, gold star" as my grandfather used to rate my drawings when I was little. My favorite non-essential aspect of the book was grandfather "Doc's" sweater. Details matter and this was the sweetest.

I will definitely look for more stories by this author-illustrator team again, Carla Hall and Cherise Harris.

[Roben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Carla Hall. She is one of my favorite Food Network people. And this book is delightful. Young Carla is excited about the traditional Christmas visit with her grandparents! Especially her grandmother's cooking. Carla loves her cornbread! But after dinner, Carla accidentally eats the cookie left out for Santa! She is so worried that Santa won't come - or that she'll be moved to the naughty list! But her Grandmother comes to the rescue. She and Carla whip up a special treat for Santa.
I'm betting that Santa will be thrilled to have some yummy cornbread for a change!
And hooray for black Santas!

[Sue H · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small mishap with Santa’s Christmas cookie allows Carla and her grandmother to become creative and come up with an alternate treat. This book is a beautiful intergenerational story that displays family togetherness and traditions. Carla’s excitement for food is almost the same as that for presents which reminds readers that there is more to the holidays than receiving gifts. This book shows that new traditions can be formed and teaches that things do not always need to be perfect to be fun. There is a cornbread recipe that adults and children will most definitely want to try. A lovely book for the holidays season.

[Jared White · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Carla's favorite things is her grandmother's cornbread and she can't wait to get to her house to have some. After getting ready for bed Carla comes back downstairs and sees a perfect sugar cookie so she takes a bite but, oh no! That was Santa's cookie, what will she do? Granny suggests Carla make Santa some cornbread but will he like it?

A possible new and neat Christmas tradition after all, as Doc (grandpa) says, "Looks good, says Doc, 'Santa gets tired of all those cookies, I bet." Also, there's a cornbread recipe in back!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

oung Carla is so excited to go to Granny's for Christmas Eve dinner. Her favorite dish? Granny's cornbread, made fresh in a cast iron pan. But on their way to bed, Carla sees the perfect sugar cookie on a small plate, after taking a bite her sister tells her it was meant for Santa! Carla is worried she has ruined Christmas - but Granny has an idea.

This is a great Christmas story, and the celebrity connection made the recipe in the back so exciting! Cute illustrations - a fun holiday read, but the message is fun anytime.

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid semi-autobiographical story from famous chef Carla Hall. As a small child, Carla makes the mistake of eating Santa's cookie, and so, Carla and her Grandmother decide to make Santa his own little cornbread to replace it! Beautiful storytelling with little hints of magic like a Santa that "looks like me" and a lesson on expecting other cultures and cuisines. Highly recommend. Great read-aloud story for older kiddos with good attention spans. :)

[Erin *BookDragon_Library* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice story about Christmas and family traditions. Nice to see Black representation for a Christmas book. There are Black Santa decorations on the tree. The storyline is average, about a girl who accidentally eats the cookie left out for Santa and the grandmother helps her fix the situation by making her favorite cornbread instead.


Notes: Recipe in back. Grandma. Black joy. family tradition. Cooking with family.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coincidentally or not, the hero of this book is a little girl with the same first name as the author, Carla.

When she accidentally eats a lavishly decorated sugar cookie meant for Santa, how can she ever make amends?

But Granny knows just what to do.

FIVE STARS for a book straight from the heart. It's so family-like, with homey details in the words by Carla Hall, plus the cozy-realistic pictures by Cherise Harris. One of my favorite Christmas books ever!!!

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carla and her family spends Christmas eve with her grandparents, and enjoys her grandmother's cornbread with their dinner. After Carla accidently eats the cookie left for Santa, she and her grandmother make a pan of cornbread with a small dish of cinnamon butter for Santa's snack, in hopes that he enjoys cornbread as well. There is a recipe for both items in the back of the book.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Carla eats the cookie put out for Santa on Christmas Eve (not realizing who is was for), Grandma shows flexibility by baking Carla's favorite food (cornbread) to leave for Santa.

Wish the recipe in the back didn't assume people have 4 mini frying pans. I know it says you can use muffin tins. Would be more true to the story to use one normal sized skillet.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the line, "Because it looks like me". It's so important for children to see themselves in books and I'm so glad this book was made! I'm white and I think there's soooo many books out there about regular ol' Christian Christmas that there needs to be more books like this! The illustrations and story were great!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story from Hall's memories of Christmas at her grandparents' home. She looks forward to her grandmother's cornbread most of all. One year, she accidentally eats Santa's cookie and her grandmother creates a special memory with her as they bake a small cornbread just for Santa. Love for family radiates through this lovely memory tale. The illustrations bring the text to life.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely an add if you purchase books for a library. The illustrations are beautifully detailed down to the pink sponge rollers we used to wear! Love the included recipe for cornbread and cinnamon butter. Can’t wait to make some!
Story shows that Christmas traditions can be “adjusted” and things turn out fine!

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's Christmas Eve and Carla is on the way to her Grandma's house. At the house, she is super excited about eating her grandma's cornbread. When she takes a BIG bite out of Santa's cookie grandma makes it better by making Santa some cornbread. Complete with a cornbread recipe in the back.

[kim baccellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated portrayal of a young Black girl and her family's annual Christmas traditions. The illustrations do a great job of showing the family, including the love the young girl has for her grandmother.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Carla accidentally eats Santa's cookie, her grandma helps her make Santa a cornbread treat. A heart-warming story about family, baking, and holiday traditions. This would be a good Christmas Eve story! Includes a recipe for the cornbread and cinnamon butter mentioned in the book.

[Lorraine Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cosy book. The description and illustration when she eats the cookie... I know I've experienced that stomach dropping feeling. The author and illustrator did such a good job. Very impressed.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the story twist on the cookie/ cornbread was so wonderful. Especially like all the lefties at the dinner table. A favorite Christmas book.