ATK Kids

The Perfect Gift for the First Day of School

The newest ATK Kids picture book is all about learning to be brave in a new situation.

Published Aug. 11, 2021

With the end of summer comes the beginning of something else: a brand-new school year. And while some kids might be excited to head into the classroom and make new friends, others might be feeling a little more nervous.

Enter Mitsy the Oven Mitt Goes to School: A Story About Being Brave, a new picture book from America’s Test Kitchen Kids. Kids and their grown-ups will read about the adventures of Mitsy, a young oven mitt going to school for the very first time, and learn how she conquers her nerves, makes new friends, and confronts her biggest fear: the oven. Here’s what you’ll find in this book.

Positive Story with a Relatable Character

Fans of America's Test Kitchen Kids' popular podcast Mystery Recipe already know and love Mitsy and will appreciate learning more about this character. Mitsy may be an oven mitt, but her story (and her feelings), thoughtfully written by Chad Chenail, will resonate with just about every child.

Colorful Illustrations on Every Page

Miss Copperpot’s Academy for Useful Utensils is a magical boarding school full of walking, talking kitchen utensils. Early readers and pre-readers will be transported to this extraordinary new world through Gabi Homonoff’s bright and playful illustrations—and inspired to look at their own kitchen tools in a new light. Grown-ups will enjoy the thoughtful details (and puns!) sprinkled throughout the pages.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and Audio Cook-Along

At the end of the book, readers will find a kid-tested and kid-approved recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, along with a QR code leading to an audio cook-along created by the Mystery Recipe team. Kids can gather their ingredients, press play, and bake in real time with Mitsy and other characters from the book.

Mitsy the Oven Mitt Goes to School: A Story About Being Brave

Empower kids to try new things and turn nervousness into excitement with our picture book featuring Mitsy the oven mitt! In this heartwarming and playful story, we meet a young oven mitt who has spent her whole life in the mitten factory. When she is accepted into a magical boarding school where kitchen utensils go to learn how to assist in cooking, she is nervous to leave her home. But her first days at school bring together a diverse cast of characters, inspiring kitchen facts, and a story to empower kids so that when they, too, feel nervous, they remember that they can do anything.

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