Out and about at the Bakery Book

Uses a field trip to a bakery to introduce the process by which baked treats are made.

Trina Heidt - Children's Literature

Kids love field trips but they are not always possible or practical. This book offers a colorfully illustrated alternative beginning with a list of "things to find out" that helps to focus readers before the fictional field trip begins. Franz greets us at his bakery and begins our tour in the kitchen showing us all of his baking equipment mixing bowls, ovens, baking trays and supplies flour, sugar, yeast and eggs. It is mostly familiar but on a much larger scale. Franz continues with a simple step-by-step explanation of how he bakes bread each day beginning with the mixing of the ingredients, to the rising, punching down, and kneading of the dough and finally, the shaping and baking of several loaves of bread. Written for the pre-K to first grade audience, this is a very simple introduction to what a student might expect to experience on an actual field trip. The only negative aspect to this otherwise well-written book is the addition of information in italic type on every two-page spread. The information, while relevant, could have just as easily been incorporated into the main body of text and therefore been less distracting to young readers. Adding to the overall usefulness of this book is a related activity (testing yeast), a Learn More list including books and Web sites, Fun Facts, an index and a Words to Know list. This is part of the "Out and About" series. 2003, Picture Window Books,