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The Only Way to Make Bread
A delicious exploration of all kinds of breads, from sourdough to bannock to bao, that will tickle your taste buds and warm your heart.
What's the only way to make bread?
You might use white flour in your bread, or whole wheat flour or corn flour.
You might use water or milk, maybe an egg or two.
You'll use a handful of this, a dash of that, a bit of this and a splash of that.
Some dough will rise, some dough will bubble. Sometimes it will be sticky, sometimes it will be shaggy.
What's the only way to make bread?
Your way!
This tasty celebration of all kinds of bread will tempt bread lovers big and small. No matter what kind of bread YOU like to make, this book is for you!
What's the only way to make bread?
You might use white flour in your bread, or whole wheat flour or corn flour.
You might use water or milk, maybe an egg or two.
You'll use a handful of this, a dash of that, a bit of this and a splash of that.
Some dough will rise, some dough will bubble. Sometimes it will be sticky, sometimes it will be shaggy.
What's the only way to make bread?
Your way!
This tasty celebration of all kinds of bread will tempt bread lovers big and small. No matter what kind of bread YOU like to make, this book is for you!
40 pages, Hardcover
Published October 3, 2023
2 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 23, 2023
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
From Bao's to Bannock's, all breads are made with love and with the ones you love. This delightful picture book gathers the flour and sugar and kneads it this way and that. It's fun to see how different folks make different breads of all kinds. Everyone in the community comes together, makes several loaves of bread, and then shares it together. It's sweet to see how it's a whole community potluck in a way. And those breads listed at the end? - I seriously need to make some. This book is highly delicious; perhaps I should make some Focaccia?!
From Bao's to Bannock's, all breads are made with love and with the ones you love. This delightful picture book gathers the flour and sugar and kneads it this way and that. It's fun to see how different folks make different breads of all kinds. Everyone in the community comes together, makes several loaves of bread, and then shares it together. It's sweet to see how it's a whole community potluck in a way. And those breads listed at the end? - I seriously need to make some. This book is highly delicious; perhaps I should make some Focaccia?!
June 16, 2024
This book depicts many different types of breads from different types of cultures. Throughout the book, we can see different families baking traditional breads in a variety of ways. At the end of the book, there is a pictorial glossary of all the different breads in the story. There are even a few recipes in the back.
I… didn’t like this book, mainly because of the last sentence, or I guess the point of the story. “There is inly one way to make bread - your way!” But… but we just read an entire book about the many multitudes of ways to make bread. That is not one way…. I just didn’t get why that was the ending piece for this book. There’s not one way to cook bread, we spent the whole book learning that!!
I… didn’t like this book, mainly because of the last sentence, or I guess the point of the story. “There is inly one way to make bread - your way!” But… but we just read an entire book about the many multitudes of ways to make bread. That is not one way…. I just didn’t get why that was the ending piece for this book. There’s not one way to cook bread, we spent the whole book learning that!!
February 26, 2024
I love the illustrations! It also has some recipes at the back :)
June 3, 2025
makes me want to make bread! I love the art and warmth and the recipes
April 25, 2024
Love the illustrations and the many different types of bread! Has a great guide in the back too.
January 21, 2024
A delicious and gorgeous picture book that will make you salivate. The use of rich orange and yellow tones in the illustrations feel extra homey - just right for a book like this. All about the different ways we make bread and the one ingredient that is the same in all of them (spoiler: it's love). Sweet. Includes recipes.
December 28, 2023
Deliciously delightful and informative
February 8, 2024
I cannot wait to do this in a storytime and bring in other types of breads. Showing our bread in one culture is different in another and yet it binds us! SO good
November 29, 2023
First - thanks to Library Thing and Tundra Books for a review copy of the book.
I am also thankful for bread! I have always enjoyed baking bread and this book is a delightful homage to the joy that brings! The author stresses that the only way to make bread -- is the way that you want to make it. That might mean using a recipe passed down through generations. Or a bread tied to your culture that you made with a relative. Every culture has some type of bread. The important part is to make it with love and share with others.
The author listed lots of different breads at the back of the book. I like that she includes the names of friends who inspired adding those to the book. And I am happy recipes for two different types of bread are provided!
The illustrations are warm and inviting - just like a yeasty creation fresh from the oven!
Hopefully this book will inspire you to try making bread. That might seem a bit overwhelming at first if you have never done it before so feel free to use a mix or frozen bread dough the first few times. The important part is creating something together. Explore your own bread heritage and share both eating and making bread with your community.
Also, this book would make a lovely holiday gift! You can add a baking bowl, wooden spoon, or yummy bread topping. And, of course, don't forget to include a favorite recipe or two! It could easily spark discussion of favorite bread members.
If you are using the book in a classroom or story hour, you can pair it with Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard. Be sure to have something freshly baked available for tasting. But be warned - this book will make you hungry for fresh bread.
#ReadTundra
I am also thankful for bread! I have always enjoyed baking bread and this book is a delightful homage to the joy that brings! The author stresses that the only way to make bread -- is the way that you want to make it. That might mean using a recipe passed down through generations. Or a bread tied to your culture that you made with a relative. Every culture has some type of bread. The important part is to make it with love and share with others.
The author listed lots of different breads at the back of the book. I like that she includes the names of friends who inspired adding those to the book. And I am happy recipes for two different types of bread are provided!
The illustrations are warm and inviting - just like a yeasty creation fresh from the oven!
Hopefully this book will inspire you to try making bread. That might seem a bit overwhelming at first if you have never done it before so feel free to use a mix or frozen bread dough the first few times. The important part is creating something together. Explore your own bread heritage and share both eating and making bread with your community.
Also, this book would make a lovely holiday gift! You can add a baking bowl, wooden spoon, or yummy bread topping. And, of course, don't forget to include a favorite recipe or two! It could easily spark discussion of favorite bread members.
If you are using the book in a classroom or story hour, you can pair it with Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard. Be sure to have something freshly baked available for tasting. But be warned - this book will make you hungry for fresh bread.
#ReadTundra
September 13, 2023
Bread in all of its wonderous shapes, flavors, and ways comes together in pure celebration.
This book is all about bread and allows the various ways to create it to flow together in a constant wave of action. From one page to the next, the stages of creating bread from bowls to ingredients to baking are explored. At the end of the book, there is a little information about the history and origin of the different types of bread mentioned in these pages. There are also two recipes to form two very different breads, which listeners can try themselves (with a little help from an adult, of course).
So much energy and action surrounds what seems to be a simple process, It shows how exciting bread can be. Starting from the first page, many people are involved, each creating their own recipe. The diversity is put on full display, while keeping a very positive, party-like atmosphere. While the text goes through the different steps of making bread on a very basic level, the illustrations swirl around the togetherness it can involve. It's busy, lively, and centers more on the people enjoying the process than the details involved in baking. The entire thing rounds off with a celebration, which has the mouth-watering. And the ending recipes slide in at the right time, since listeners are going to want to try baking their own bread after reading this.
It's a lovely read for groups as well as for individuals. I received an ARC and enjoyed this one quite a bit.
This book is all about bread and allows the various ways to create it to flow together in a constant wave of action. From one page to the next, the stages of creating bread from bowls to ingredients to baking are explored. At the end of the book, there is a little information about the history and origin of the different types of bread mentioned in these pages. There are also two recipes to form two very different breads, which listeners can try themselves (with a little help from an adult, of course).
So much energy and action surrounds what seems to be a simple process, It shows how exciting bread can be. Starting from the first page, many people are involved, each creating their own recipe. The diversity is put on full display, while keeping a very positive, party-like atmosphere. While the text goes through the different steps of making bread on a very basic level, the illustrations swirl around the togetherness it can involve. It's busy, lively, and centers more on the people enjoying the process than the details involved in baking. The entire thing rounds off with a celebration, which has the mouth-watering. And the ending recipes slide in at the right time, since listeners are going to want to try baking their own bread after reading this.
It's a lovely read for groups as well as for individuals. I received an ARC and enjoyed this one quite a bit.
August 29, 2023
+Digital ARC was gently provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.+
Readers Note: Be sure to have a snack before you read this book. If you don't, then you will face the misfortune of drooling over every page with the thought of warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven bread in all its glorious forms.
Written by Christina Quintero and gorgeously illustrated by Sarah Gonzales, "The Only Way To Make Bread" shows readers how the very simple process of flour, water, salt (maybe yeast and sugar), water or milk, perhaps an egg or two, and a "dash of this or that" as it may be - results in bread. All kinds of bread.
This is a wonderful celebration of a staple in many cultures - with insightful artwork that illustrates the subtle differences and commonalities that bring families together over food preparation and meal times. I dare you to read this without engaging in a sensory experience of some sort of bread memory - for me, it was my mom bringing out a fresh loaf from the oven, slicing it open and watching the butter melt while the steam rose off the still warm fluffy goodness inside. I always opted for the crusty end - in my eyes, that was the best piece (and still is)!
Librarians - this is a must-have for your shelf. Kudos to this creative team for a wonderful book. I only hope it is the first collaboration of many to come.
Readers Note: Be sure to have a snack before you read this book. If you don't, then you will face the misfortune of drooling over every page with the thought of warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven bread in all its glorious forms.
Written by Christina Quintero and gorgeously illustrated by Sarah Gonzales, "The Only Way To Make Bread" shows readers how the very simple process of flour, water, salt (maybe yeast and sugar), water or milk, perhaps an egg or two, and a "dash of this or that" as it may be - results in bread. All kinds of bread.
This is a wonderful celebration of a staple in many cultures - with insightful artwork that illustrates the subtle differences and commonalities that bring families together over food preparation and meal times. I dare you to read this without engaging in a sensory experience of some sort of bread memory - for me, it was my mom bringing out a fresh loaf from the oven, slicing it open and watching the butter melt while the steam rose off the still warm fluffy goodness inside. I always opted for the crusty end - in my eyes, that was the best piece (and still is)!
Librarians - this is a must-have for your shelf. Kudos to this creative team for a wonderful book. I only hope it is the first collaboration of many to come.
March 28, 2025
The Only Way to Make Bread by Cristina Quintero with illustrations by Sarah Gonzales
Oh good times! Every once in a while, I come across a book that strikes a personal note—as a life-long bread baker—this was one.
Quintero’s celebration of all kinds of bread is also a celebration of cultures. Built on a framework of the process, the narrative unfolds from selecting a work space to breaking bread with a friend. There’s a delicious variety: Challah, Focaccia, Shokupan, Canadian Dinner Buns, Arepas, Puri—eleven in all described at the end. What’s your favorite?
And just in case this enticing list triggers a sudden need from some fresh, warm bread, recipes for Arepas and Pandesal are included, too.
Gonzales’s warm, soft-edged drawings pull the reader in to explore the rich depth of detail and create an intimacy paired with a sense of fun.
Loaves, rolls, buns—baked, steamed, or fried—hearty or delicate—stuffed or sliced…
Whatever your preference, make it your way. And always add a pinch of love!
Here’s a wonderful story to share with young readers, introduce them to the language of food, and explore worldwide cultures.
Highly recommended for home and school libraries.
Oh good times! Every once in a while, I come across a book that strikes a personal note—as a life-long bread baker—this was one.
Quintero’s celebration of all kinds of bread is also a celebration of cultures. Built on a framework of the process, the narrative unfolds from selecting a work space to breaking bread with a friend. There’s a delicious variety: Challah, Focaccia, Shokupan, Canadian Dinner Buns, Arepas, Puri—eleven in all described at the end. What’s your favorite?
And just in case this enticing list triggers a sudden need from some fresh, warm bread, recipes for Arepas and Pandesal are included, too.
Gonzales’s warm, soft-edged drawings pull the reader in to explore the rich depth of detail and create an intimacy paired with a sense of fun.
Loaves, rolls, buns—baked, steamed, or fried—hearty or delicate—stuffed or sliced…
Whatever your preference, make it your way. And always add a pinch of love!
Here’s a wonderful story to share with young readers, introduce them to the language of food, and explore worldwide cultures.
Highly recommended for home and school libraries.
August 22, 2023
This charming book is a joyful celebration of making and sharing bread. The second person voice is playful, announcing that the only way to make bread is by starting with a counter or table, and then goes on to tell the reader about all the variations of equipment, flour, leavening, technique and cooking that are possible. This leaves room for all kinds of breads, and the artwork shows lots of different loaves being made by a wide diversity of people. A nice assortment of adjectives will delight young readers: dough can be loose and shaggy, or bouncy and firm; the finished product can be spongy, dry, fluffy, or flat. I love the emphasis on sharing bread and making it with love.
The mixed media artwork has a folksy, textured, bready feel, and I loved the big community bread sharing event depicted at the end. There is an illustrated glossary with descriptions of the breads featured in the story, as well as two recipes to try. This is a lovely multicultural introduction to one of life’s biggest pleasures, and will spur families to go outside their own cultural definition of bread.
The mixed media artwork has a folksy, textured, bready feel, and I loved the big community bread sharing event depicted at the end. There is an illustrated glossary with descriptions of the breads featured in the story, as well as two recipes to try. This is a lovely multicultural introduction to one of life’s biggest pleasures, and will spur families to go outside their own cultural definition of bread.
Read
March 3, 2025This beautifully-illustrated book is about families who come together to make different types of bread. Throughout the story, we see different families making bread from a variety of cultures. I like how, at the end of the book, the author incorporates a bread glossary with pictures and details about the different breads that are made throughout the story, including: Canadian Dinner Buns, Bao, Puri, Focaccia, etc. There are even a few recipes listed in the back of the book too! The story teaches children the importance of family traditions and cultural heritage. I can use this book in my future classroom to start discussion about familial dishes and cultural traditions. I can also use this book alongside a classroom activity where students write about or draw their favorite family dishes and the traditions surrounding them. I can even bind all of the recipes together to create a classroom cookbook!
January 23, 2023
The Only Way to Make bread is a fun and colorful exploration on all the steps to make bread.
Bread is a food that is made is many different cultures in many different ways but it’s essentials are almost always the same and it brings people together. This reminded me of Our World of Dumplings (another favorite) which explores how different cultures create their own kinds of dumplings, which are also made of bread!
This book also included a spread of different breads at the back, listing their names and a bit of history behind it. There’s also two recipes included which I always love with food books.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Bread is a food that is made is many different cultures in many different ways but it’s essentials are almost always the same and it brings people together. This reminded me of Our World of Dumplings (another favorite) which explores how different cultures create their own kinds of dumplings, which are also made of bread!
This book also included a spread of different breads at the back, listing their names and a bit of history behind it. There’s also two recipes included which I always love with food books.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
February 24, 2023
I choose to read "The Only Way to Make Bread" because my husband loves making bread at home and I thought this might be a nice title to add to our children's book library.
I really enjoyed the crayon styled illustrations which exude the warmth of family and community. The color palette or reds, yellows, and browns make you think of oven baked bread.
I found the story to be a bit lacking in the telling of what is so amazing about baking bread. With a bit more polishing this has the potential to be a good book.
The added information about the different types of bread and recipes in the back of the book are a nice touch.
I really enjoyed the crayon styled illustrations which exude the warmth of family and community. The color palette or reds, yellows, and browns make you think of oven baked bread.
I found the story to be a bit lacking in the telling of what is so amazing about baking bread. With a bit more polishing this has the potential to be a good book.
The added information about the different types of bread and recipes in the back of the book are a nice touch.
August 10, 2023
I loved this picturebook! The Only Way to Make Bread is a celebration of all breads, everywhere. The best way to make bread is...however you want. The illustrations give off a warm and cozy feeling, showing different groups of people making different types of bread but all with the same love and excitement to share and eat together. The story ends with all the groups coming together for a big potluck picnic outside. The back matter gives information about the different breads we see represented in the illustrations and recipes for arepas and pandesal. I got hungry reading this book!
#NetGalley #TheOnlyWaytoMakeBread
#NetGalley #TheOnlyWaytoMakeBread
October 7, 2023
**Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**
This was such a cute story about all the different ways to make bread, from the choice of ingredients, to the way it is baked, and its shape. Bread is influenced by our culture, and I loved seeing the diverse representation of it throughout the illustrations. At the end, the book talks about different kinds of bread, and even includes a recipe for some of them! No matter what kind of bread you are making, the author reminds us that the most important ingredient to any type of bread is love.
This was such a cute story about all the different ways to make bread, from the choice of ingredients, to the way it is baked, and its shape. Bread is influenced by our culture, and I loved seeing the diverse representation of it throughout the illustrations. At the end, the book talks about different kinds of bread, and even includes a recipe for some of them! No matter what kind of bread you are making, the author reminds us that the most important ingredient to any type of bread is love.
March 16, 2023
A cute kids' picture book about making bread & learning from loved ones. The book includes lots of colorful illustrations.
The book talks about a lot of different ways to make bread & a lot of varieties of different breads, from different cultures.
A couple recipes are included at the end that would be fun for kids to try to make.
I like that they encourage that there's not a right or wrong way, just different.
Thanks to Netgalley & the Publisher for letting me preview this book. All opinions are my own.
The book talks about a lot of different ways to make bread & a lot of varieties of different breads, from different cultures.
A couple recipes are included at the end that would be fun for kids to try to make.
I like that they encourage that there's not a right or wrong way, just different.
Thanks to Netgalley & the Publisher for letting me preview this book. All opinions are my own.
December 9, 2023
An ode to bread, this book is warm and inviting and lovely. The only way to make bread, is any way you like! But we always break bread together, and it's always made with love. "This book reminds me of. . ." is a phrase that comes to mind as you read. We each smile as we finish, because it feel universally like the best of home.
Read as a nomination in the Fiction Picture Book book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
This book reminds me of my mother. Her way is the best way to make bread.
Read as a nomination in the Fiction Picture Book book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
This book reminds me of my mother. Her way is the best way to make bread.
April 3, 2023
I am a proficient baker with many bread recipes that I use on a regular basis. I tried many of the recipes and guidelines in this book and was pleasantly surprised with the results, as were the taste testers in my family. Then I passed along a few recipes to a beginner bread maker. Her efforts were rated very good by our dedicated testers and they encouraged her to try some more. So the unanimous vote was 5 stars for Quintero's easy to follow recipes and the results.
September 17, 2023
Just as everyone is different, each culture has their own way of making bread. With softly colored illustrations children will explore different ways to make bread. Using favorite bowls and similar ingredients each bread is unique. Doughs can be sticky and soft, firm, and smooth, with different shapes, but always shared with love. Recipes at the back of the book will have young chefs excited to bake.
March 7, 2024
Wonderfully warm and friendly illustrations by Sarah Gonzales highlight this fun book about families gathering together to make all different sorts of bread.
The books ends with descriptions of all the breads prepared in the story, and there are even two recipes to try.
Yum!
The books ends with descriptions of all the breads prepared in the story, and there are even two recipes to try.
Yum!
Read
July 22, 2024As a bread lover, especially with a toddler who likes to help, I really connect with this book. It’s a beautiful way to demonstrate the similarities we share with others, as well as the differences in different cultures. This story would be a great addition to any home or even a library or classroom.
I was given a free eARC copy of this book on NetGalley the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was given a free eARC copy of this book on NetGalley the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2024
Describes how to make bread step-by-step with the most important ingredient being love. Good representation, especially of people of color. Describes different types of bread from different cultures at the end and includes two bread recipes. Soft-lined illustrations and warm colors. Useful for storytimes with slightly older kids (5-6), lots of motions can be done - or useful for a slightly older range (6-7) in discussing culture and food.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2023
It was overwhelming. I would have liked a couple pages devoted to each different type of bread and then a unifying set (or not) at the end. My daughter came out of it with no curiosity aboit or understanding of different cultures. For older kids the explanatory section at the back would probably be good enough, though.
April 18, 2024
I had the privilege of meeting the illustrator, Sarah Gonzales, at the Fay Kaigler Children's Book Festival this year. She was the winner of the Ezra Jack Keats Award for book illustration. This book is delightful, warm, and encompassing of all cultures coming together to eat their favorite types of bread!
April 21, 2024
This story is not something I have read about before, it goes through every step to making bread and how making it can bring people together. It talks about so many different breads from various cultures such as sourdough, bao's, puri, and so many more. Also, in the back of the book they give some recipes and give information of where each bread is from.
September 20, 2024
I was enticed to pick this one up based on the fun cover and was not disappointed! The art is beautiful, and I love the way that it is colored. The illustrations depict different cultures and types of families, and lots of different breads! The message that all types of bread are good types of bread is great, and I love the explanations and recipes at the end.
January 27, 2023
This absolutely adorable children’s title was the perfect read to show the differences and similarities in cultures and traditions. You could almost smell the fresh bread and hear the voices of family surrounding the kitchen. A super cute addition to any children’s home library.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews