Children’s Book Review: Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, by Julie Sternberg

One of the most adorable children’s books I’ve read recently is called Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, by Julie Sternberg. It’s the very sweet story of a little girl named Eleanor who finds out that Bibi, the babysitter she’s had since she was a baby, is moving away. To Eleanor, this news is “as bad as pickle juice on a cookie.” In other words, she is devastated. Eleanor is determined not to like her new babysitter, Natalie, but as she gets to know Natalie better, Eleanor slowly figures out that loving Natalie doesn’t make her any less loyal to Bibi.

Although Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie is a chapter book, the chapters are short and the paragraphs are styled like a poem. For example:

So we went on a walk
and took pictures of Brooklyn flowers.
I’d never noticed before
how many there are
in little gardens
in front of buildings
just off the sidewalks.

And if I ever write a children’s book of my own, I want to hire illustrator Matthew Cordell. His drawings are absolutely precious and beautifully capture Eleanor’s moods. (See above.) CLICK HERE for a delightful explanation of how the cover of this book came about!

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie is Julie Sternberg’s first novel, but I sincerely hope it’s not her last. I can see why it was named a 2011 Junior Library Guild Selection! It’s everything a children’s book should be: meaningful, sweet, and absorbing. I highly recommend it. Learn more about the book and author Julie Sternberg at www.juliesternberg.com.




DISCLOSURE: An advance copy of this book was sent for this review. No financial compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% mine. The Amazon affiliate links in this post are mine.