José Feeds the World: How a Famous Chef Feeds Millions of People in Need Around the World

by David Unger (Author) Marta Álvarez Miguéns (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

The true story of José Andrés, an award-winning chef, food activist, and founder of World Central Kitchen, a disaster-relief organization that uses the power of food to nourish communities after catastrophe strikes.

When a terrible earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, chef José Andrés knew he needed to help. Within a few hours of the disaster, he had gathered friends, they flew to the island, and they began cooking rice and beans for the hungry locals. This trip changed the life of the successful chef and led him to found World Central Kitchen, a disaster-relief organization that has fed more than 200 million people affected by natural disasters, the COVID pandemic, and war.

This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of a passionate chef who uses the power of food to nurture people in need, one plate at a time.

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Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Rich illustrations buoy a lackluster narrative.

Publishers Weekly

This factual, step-by-step biography of philanthropist chef José Andrés foregrounds how his background and career led to his founding World Central Kitchen. Born in Spain in 1969 to nurse parents who frequently hosted at home, he realized early on that "it was possible to make life better for others in big and small ways," specifically through food. After attending cooking school in Barcelona, he worked in New York, then opened a tapas restaurant in Washington, D.C.: "He liked tapas because they created a community." Volunteering at a D.C. soup kitchen, he once again noticed food's effect on people, a concept that followed him to Haiti after its 2010 earthquake; there, he learned "to cook food in the local style to make people feel better cared for," a practice he continued after founding nonprofit World Central Kitchen, a globally scaled soup kitchen providing for people in places affected by disasters. Miguéns's digital illustrations, one of which seems to nod at Sendak's In the Night Kitchen, depict Andrés cooking and collaborating around the world, including during Covid and in 2022 Ukraine. A list of Andrés's honors and a glossary conclude. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Vivid illustrations that depict compelling scenes rendered in rich color add tone and nuance." — Kirkus Reviews
Classification
-
ISBN-13
9781728279527
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Duopress
Publication date
January 30, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF007050 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Cultural Heritage
JNF014000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Cooking & Food
JNF073000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Volunteering
Library of Congress categories
Cooks
Andraes, Josae

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