WHEN CARROT MET COOKIE

An anthropomorphic carrot and cookie test the limits of their friendship.

Since meeting on their trikes in the park, “bright, grounded” Carrot and “sweet, warm” Cookie have become fast friends. Carrot teaches Cookie to dip in hummus. Cookie teaches Carrot to dunk in milk. But, when Cookie’s other friends Cupcake and Lollipop mock Carrot, Carrot wilts. And, when Carrot’s other vegetable friends mock Cookie, Cookie feels crummy. Neither stands up for the other, straining their relationship and sending Cookie to seek guidance from family. Grandpa (a fig bar) spouts “stale” ideas about desserts acting like desserts. But the child of a muffin and a carrot, Aunt C.C. (a slice of carrot cake) proves that desserts and vegetables can not only be friends but fall in love. Is it too late for Cookie and Carrot to reconcile? With around 190 words and their variants, Perl and Fenske’s collaboration is a pun-filled exploration of friendship. Though the higher word count and relatively small type necessitate some reading fluency, the text never exceeds five sentences on a page and still remains accessible to emerging readers. Fenske’s bright, colorful cartoon art gives personality to each food. Delightful background details, like a pasta-noodle slide and broccoli trees, up the charm factor. But while the overall message is sunny and welcoming, the vegetable/dessert binary trivializes the complexity of racial and cultural difference by using edible stand-ins. (This book was reviewed digitally.)