Cocoa Magic-Picture Book, ages 4-7 by Sandra Bradley-Review

About The Book

In a cozy 1920s chocolate shop, the special ingredients in each perfect treat are empathy, generosity, and thoughtful acts of kindness.

Eight-year-old Daniel cherishes the hour he spends every morning helping his Great-Uncle Lewis in his chocolate shop. They mix, temper, pour, and mold. “It’s magic, my boy,” Uncle Lewis says. And Daniel agrees. When a new girl named Sarah joins his class, Daniel sees how lonely she is and begins sneaking chocolates into her desk. Seeing Sarah light up after each treat is wonderful…but then Daniel starts noticing other classmates with troubles. Soon he is hiding more and more chocolates until the exciting day when everyone in class receives one, even the teacher! The best part is, no one knows it’s him.

But then, when Daniel is the one feeling sad and alone, who will know to comfort him?

In Cocoa Magic, Gabrielle Grimard’s rich and nostalgic illustrations transport readers to a cozy 1920s chocolate shop and a stiff brick schoolhouse that somehow learns to be warm as well.  In her text and her closing author’s note, clinical social worker Sandra Bradley celebrates the wonders that happen when someone meets another person’s need to be seen and understood—even through the smallest act of kindness. 

credit

My Thoughts

Set in the 1920’s. When Daniel is eight years old he becomes an apprentice to his uncle at his chocolate shop. He loves learning from his uncle and who doesn’t love the taste of chocolate?
Mixing up the many varieties of chocolate he learns there is more than cocoa beans in chocolate. There are special ingredients in these perfect treats and they are empathy, generosity, and thoughtful acts of kindness.
When a new lonely girl joins his classroom he brings her a golden boxed delicately wrapped chocolate hidden in her desk. This not only brightens her up but brings her out of her shell ready to help others. He does this for other children day after day. His doing this shows how the magical ingredients, empathy, generosity, and thoughtful acts of kindness spreads among the whole school and teaches this to all the children.
This is a positive book for young children. The vintage illustrations are charming and visually appealing for children. Children will enjoy how happy the children are in the book which in turn will make them feel good. This would make a very nice gift for children.

Pub Date 8 Nov 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Sandra Bradley is a chocolate lover, a clinical social worker and therapist, and a children’s book author. Her first picture book, Henry Holton Takes the Ice, was a finalist for the OLA Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award and the Maine Chickadee Reader’s Choice Award. Born in Toronto, Sandra earned her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and her Master of Arts at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, then earned her Master of Education (Counselling) from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Today Sandra is back in the Kingston area where she lives on the beautiful Rideau Canal with her New Zealander husband, Grant, and their three teenage kids. Sandra has yet to temper chocolate successfully, but she’s finally nailed chocolate brownie pie. 

What type of chocolate did this post make you crave? We all love chocolate right?