A young baker reviews Pooja Dhingra’s latest children’s book

Herersquos a thing no one tells you about 10yearold girls mdash they dream with their eyes wide open because magic is real when you havenrsquot learned to doubt it yet When our inhouse reviewer read 10yearold Faria Siddiqi came across chefentrepreneur Pooja Dhingra and authorjournalist Stuti Agarwalrsquos book Aria and the Magic Apron Juggernaut Books she read it with fervour albeit with a critical reviewerrsquos hatThe reviewIllustrations CourtesyNirupama Vishwanath Juggernaut BooksThe title draws me in but itrsquos Nirupama Vishwanathrsquos striking cover illustration that makes me want to dive into the book immediately The story follows Aria a young girl who loves baking but isnrsquot very good at it When she learns that her idol Pari Doshi PD mdash possibly based on Pooja Dhingra mdash will judge her school bakeoff Aria must participate in the contestTenyearold Faria reviews the bookHer first round went well until a silly mistake ruined it leaving her in tears Thatrsquos when she discovers the magical apron At first she believes the apron is just a ridiculous gift to make her feel better but when she wears it to the second round her cheesecake turns out perfect Aria excels in the third round too making a puffy choux pastry and she feels more confident in herself than everThe story captures the struggles of a young aspiring bakerOn a happy morning Aria makes some French toast with berry compote and whipped cream No she did not want simple old boring jam toast She could never fail no matter how complicated the recipe was as long as she had her apron on her side But the question was would she have the apron with her till the finals Read the book to find out what happens nextAside from the illustrations the book also offers helpful baking tipsAlso because it is a treat to read it perfectly portrays the struggles of young aspiring bakers through the protagonist and it tempts you to look up a recipe and start baking or ordering it if you arenrsquot into baking like I am I loved how the book has helpful baking tips at the end of every chapter Plus points for thatPooja Dhingra PicSatej ShindeOverall the book is lighthearted cute and delightful Aria is adorable with her doughnut earrings and wild curls but itrsquos her determination and resilience mdash that little fire that sparks every time she bakes even when everything goes wrong mdash that makes her unforgettable Although I feel that the illustrations should have been in colour mdash especially since itrsquos a childrenrsquos book well adults can read it too on a day when nothing seems to go their way mdash they are also appealingIf I were a patisserie chef for a day the top things on my baking wishlist are chocochip cookies and brownies Whatrsquos not to love about chewy cookies with gooey yummy chocochips and chocolatey meltinmouth brownies Irsquom superexcited to head to the kitchenAvailable amazonin