Picture Books & Cookbooks for Kids

The Little Chef

Made for little chefs and big adventures.

Follow Sam and his black-and-white dog, Baker, as they travel the country tasting new foods, meeting new friends, and turning every adventure into a simple recipe kids can help make.

The Little Chef: Austin Adventure cover The Little Chef: Whidbey Island cover The Little Chef: Florida Family Adventure cover
📖 A story AND a cookbook in one
🎨 Hand-painted watercolor art
👩‍🍳 Easy recipes kids can help make
🐾 Starring a very good dog
The Series

Three Adventures and a First Cookbook

Each adventure is a full picture-book story followed by simple recipes from that trip, made to cook together with your family. And now Sam is sharing the recipes he makes at home.

Available Now The Little Chef — Whidbey Island cover
Whidbey Island

Sam & Baker’s Island Adventure

Where it all begins — an island summer of fresh salmon, sweet berries, warm bread, and sea air. Seven recipes to make at home.

Available Now The Little Chef — Austin Adventure cover
Austin, Texas

Sam & Baker’s Austin Adventure

Sam and Baker head to Texas and meet a new friend, Natasha, and her cat, Luna — cooking their way through breakfast tacos, brisket, and peach shortcakes.

Available Now The Little Chef — Florida Family Adventure cover
Florida

Florida Family Adventure

A road trip down the coast to welcome a brand-new baby brother — with treasure hunts, orange groves, key lime pie, and one very special seashell.

New · Coming Soon

Look Inside The Little Chef’s Kitchen

In a cozy little house by the sea, there lived a little chef named Sam. He loved to cook more than anything, and his dog Baker loved to keep him company. Now Sam is sharing the recipes he makes at home.

The Little Chef's Kitchen front cover: Sam at the counter with Baker
A First Cookbook · Ages 6 to 12 · 70 pages

There are pancakes for breakfast, soup for lunch, mac and cheese for dinner, and cupcakes for a treat. Every recipe is written for a kid’s hands and an adult’s help. Steps are short and plain. Your helper can be Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, or any adult who cooks with you.

  • 22 recipes, each with a watercolor picture of the dish
  • 5 chapters: Rise & Shine, Lunchbox Heroes, Snack Attack, Family Dinner, and Sweet Treats
  • 1, 2, or 3 chef hats on every recipe, so you can see how big a job it is before you start
  • A star on every helper step: the stove, the oven, sharp knives, and raw meat
  • The Little Chef Rules, how to read a recipe, measuring like a chef, and knife skills for little hands
  • Baker’s Tips and allergens on every recipe
  • A recipe notebook page and a Little Chef certificate at the end

Tap any page to see it bigger.

The Adventure Continues

Where to Next?

Sam and Baker are cooking their way around the world, one delicious place at a time. Here's where they've been — and where they're headed.

🐟
Whidbey Island
Book 1
🌮
Austin
Book 2
🍊
Florida
Book 3
❓
You decide!
Vote

Help pick the next adventure →

The Story Behind the Books

Made for the kids we love

It all started at home, around the kitchen table. Sam is the little chef — and Baker, the fluffy black-and-white pup who stars in every book, was his real dog and very best friend. The whole series is made in loving memory of Baker, so he gets to keep right on adventuring: sniffing out buried treasure, snatching runaway blueberries mid-air, and splashing into every swimming hole from Whidbey Island to the Florida coast.

Every book is a brand-new adventure — new places, new friends, and mouth-watering new foods — written for the real kids in the family. (Florida Family Adventure was made to welcome a baby brother before he was even born!) And each story wraps up with recipes simple enough for little hands, with a helper close by. They’re the joyful, food-filled books we always wanted on our own shelf.

Start with Whidbey Island →

🧑‍🍳🐾
Sam & Baker
The Little Chef & His Dog
“Every adventure can become a recipe.”
🐾 In loving memory of Baker
Free Every Month

Recipes & Coloring Pages for Little Chefs

Beyond the books — a brand-new, kid-friendly recipe and a matching coloring page, free every single month. Fun in the kitchen, then fun with the crayons.

🎃
This Month · October

Pumpkin Patch Muffins

Soft, cozy pumpkin muffins that make the whole kitchen smell like fall. Kids can do almost every step, with a helper on oven duty. Print the recipe card, then color the picture!

Want a new recipe & coloring page every month? Join the Recipe Club below ↓

More Coloring Pages

Sam and Baker from all their adventures. Print as many as you like.

Coloring page: Buried Treasure
Florida

Buried Treasure

Download & Print
Coloring page: Dancing Past the Murals
Austin, Texas

Dancing Past the Murals

Download & Print
Coloring page: Fresh Bread at the Bakery
Whidbey Island

Fresh Bread at the Bakery

Download & Print
Coloring page: Berry Picking at the Farm
Whidbey Island

Berry Picking at the Farm

Download & Print
Coloring page: A Walk by the Lighthouse
Whidbey Island

A Walk by the Lighthouse

Download & Print
Coloring page: Watermelon Picnic
Kitchen Club

Watermelon Picnic

Download & Print
The Recipe Club

Be first to know when the next book drops

Join the Recipe Club for launch news, a free printable recipe card, and a coloring page from the books — sent straight to your inbox. No spam, just good stuff for little chefs.

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