About the Holiday

Have you made a wish that you’re just waiting to have fulfilled? Today’s holiday encourages you to get the ball rolling and plan how to make whatever you’re wishing for a reality. With perseverance (and maybe a cupcake) you may get your heart’s desire—just like the sweet French bulldog in today’s book.

A Family for Louie

By Alexandra Thompson

Louie was quite a gourmet. “He knew every chef in town,” and every day he visited his favorite restaurants for scrumptious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners—and dessert too, of course. “Louie ended each day with a bath, a good book, and a hot cup of cocoa. It was perfect.” While Louie thought his life was as good as it could be, when he saw other dogs enjoying time with their families, he thought “maybe there was one thing missing.”

Copyright Alexandra Thompson, 2020, courtesy of G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.

Louie decided to look for a family. At the beach, he saw a woman and her son who looked nice, but when he saw what they were eating for their picnic lunch—“green Jell-O salad and sardine sandwiches”—he just turned away. He went to his favorite sushi restaurant, he spied a man and his daughter with an empty seat at their table. When he approached, however, a very territorial cat chased him away. He tried one more time at the park when a dad and his two kids invited him for a yummy burger and a game of frisbee. But he was no match for that flying disc. Louie thought maybe he’d never find a family.

Copyright Alexandra Thompson, 2020, courtesy of G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.

Louie walked back to town, where he saw a new bakery. A little girl was setting up a table of cupcakes on the sidewalk in front of the shop. He went over, and the girl introduced herself and offered him a cupcake. The cupcake was delicious, and Louie loved playing with Bea. Bea begged her Mom to let them keep Louie. That night a bubble bath, “a home-cooked meal, and a story with hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies told Louie he’d found his perfect family.

Copyright Alexandra Thompson, 2020, courtesy of G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.

Alexandra Thompson’s story about an absolutely adorable canine foodie searching for a place to truly belong is full of heart and humor—and delicious-sounding foods for every taste. Thompson’s charming storytelling is accompanied by her lovely illustrations that take readers into Louie’s favorite restaurants, where he gazes lovingly at the dishes in front of him and his eyes are never bigger than his stomach, to the beach, a barbecue, and to the middle of town, where the new bakery stands like a freshly frosted cake.

Thompson’s attention to details creates scenes rich in atmosphere and emotion. Kids will love Louie’s city park home, where he bathes in a fountain and goes to sleep in a well-decorated den under the roots of a tree. When Louie finally meets Bea, kids will immediately see that they belong together, and the gentle suspense when Bea asks her mom if they can keep Louie leads into a page turn that’s full of sweet celebration of love and family. And as Louie and Bea snuggle up with a book and snacks before bedtime, readers will already be looking forward to seconds.

Fresh and delightfully enchanting, A Family for Louie serves up a delectable recipe for story times and would be a favorite addition to home, school, and public library bookshelves.

Ages 3 – 7

G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2020 | ISBN 978-1984813213

To learn more about Alexandra Thompson, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Wish Fulfillment Day Activity

Very Vanilla Cupcakes

This delicious vanilla cupcake recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction would definitely please Grandma—and they’ll become your favorite confection too!

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 and 2/3 cup (210g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup (60g) vanilla Greek yogurt (or plain; or regular yogurt; or even sour cream)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) vanilla almond milk (or cow’s milk; or soy milk; or plain almond milk)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract seeds scraped from 1/2 split vanilla bean¹

Vanilla Bean Frosting

• 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4-5 cups (480-600g) confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream²
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract seeds scraped from 1/2 split vanilla bean¹
• Salt, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in sugar – mixture will be gritty. Whisk in egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Split 1 vanilla bean down the middle lengthwise. Scrape seeds from half of the vanilla bean into batter. Reserve other half.
3. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick.
4. Divide batter among 12 cupcake liners (or 24 mini) and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake for 8-9 minutes if making mini cupcakes. Allow to cool.
5. To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if mixture is too thick. Add salt if frosting is too sweet (1/4 teaspoon). Frost cooled cupcakes (I used Wilton 1M piping tip). There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake.
6. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 7.

Additional Notes

1. If you can’t get your hands on vanilla beans, add an extra ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract instead.
2. Strongly urged to use heavy cream. You may use milk or half-and-half, but heavy cream will give the frosting a thicker texture. I recommend it!

For ways to adapt this recipe and more scrumptious recipes, visit Sally’s Baking Addiction. I guarantee you’ll go back again and again!

You can find A Family for Louis at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review