[I had this post scheduled to publish on Monday and I just discovered that it didn’t appear due to a silly error on my part. Better late than never!]

More than seven (!) years ago I reviewed three picture books about Julia Child. I finally got my hands on another one that I think you’ll enjoy.

Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes “the French Chef” by Alex Prud’homme, illustrated by Sarah Green (Calkins Creek, 2022)

Born Hungry was written by Julia Child’s grandnephew, who also co-authored her memoir My Life in France. It begins with her love for food when she was young, but her inexperience cooking. During World War II she worked for the Office of Strategic Services in Sri Lanka where she met her husband Paul. The book goes on to talk about her desire to learn cooking and subsequent failures and triumphs, taking classes at the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school and eventually opening her own cooking school.

The author’s note continues the story of Julia’s life after 1961 when Paul retired from diplomatic services. It covers her seminal cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, her TV shows, her memoir, and the movie Julie & Julia. I appreciate how the author’s note includes her philosophy and personality. It is followed by a long list of resources — books, TV shows, podcast, websites, and exhibit. Four great black and white pictures are included, too, not to mention a recipe for Oeufs Brouillés (scrambled eggs).

What I like about this book, besides the excellent writing, is the fact that it includes her relationship with Paul and her work for the OSS (she invented shark repellent!). The illustrations are nice, though not my favourite style. I wish the book didn’t end so abruptly; I don’t understand why the text doesn’t touch on Julia’s books and TV career rather than leaving them to the author’s note. Otherwise, I think Born Hungry is a great biography that shows Julia Child’s adventurous life and joie de vivre.

Recommended for ages 6 to 10.