ALA Booklist (Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

Ollie feels outshined by the superlative students in his second-grade class, especially since he's not best at anything. He loves cooking, though, and when TV chef Antonia promises to visit Mr. Hopper's class and the children are assigned to bring their Family Favorite dishes, he's determined to make something special. The challenge of getting his family to agree on their favorite seems insurmountable until Ollie asks the right question and gets a winning answer. The simple story and accessible dialogue make this a good choice for new readers, while Ollie's evident pride in being best chef may encourage others to focus on their strenghs. Bright with cheerful colors, Carter's line-and-wash illustrations suit the upbeat tone of this offering from the I Can Read series, the third in a series about Ollie's class.

Horn Book (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Mr. Hopper announces that Ollie's favorite TV chef will visit his classroom, then challenges each student to cook a "family favorite." Ollie's discouraged when his family can't agree on a dish, but he finally comes up with one special element that wows Chef Antonia. Simple vocabulary and sentences, some repeated phrases, and inviting illustrations will support less-confident readers.

Kirkus Reviews

An impending school visit by a celebrity chef sends budding cook Ollie into a tailspin. He and his classmates are supposed to bring a favorite family food for show and tell, but his family doesn't have a clear choice—besides, his little sister Rosy doesn't like much of anything. What to do? As in their previous two visits to Room 75, Kenah builds suspense while keeping the tone light, and Carter adds both bright notes of color and familiar home and school settings in her cartoon illustrations. Eventually, Ollie winkles favorite ingredients out of his clan, which he combines into a mac-and-cheese casserole with a face on top that draws delighted praise from the class's renowned guest. As Ollie seems to do his kitchen work without parental assistance, a cautionary tip or two (and maybe a recipe) might not have gone amiss here, but the episode's mouthwatering climax and resolution will guarantee smiles of contentment all around. (Easy reader. 6-7)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-This easy reader is more predictable and contrived than this team's The Best Seat in Second Grade (HarperCollins, 2005). Ollie yearns to be the best at something. When assigned to cook his family's favorite dish to surprise a television chef visiting his classroom, he sees a chance to excel. But unfortunately, he cannot find a dish that everyone agrees upon. Finally, he asks his family to name their favorite foods, and he creates a colorful macaroni-and-cheese dish that wins the chef's praise. One has to wonder why he didn't ask his family in the first place and avoid all the frustration. Also, Ollie's parents don't supervise his use of a hot oven, which seems ill-advised. Carter's pleasing watercolor illustrations are the highlight here, especially the scenes of Ollie's warm, African-American family. Fans of the previous books may enjoy visiting with Mr. Hopper and his students, but, for most, this title is an additional purchase.-Barbara Katz, Parish Episcopal School, Dallas, TX Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.