Book Review of Lillou – The Petit Chef and the Kindness Journey
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The Children’s Book Review
Lillou – The Petit Chef and the Kindness Journey
Written by Laetitia Mariani
Illustrated by Laura Livi
Ages: 4-9 | 42 Pages
Publisher: Color me Corsica (2025) | ISBN: 979-8338362907
What to Expect: Kindness, cookery, germs, sharing, community.
Part of the Lillou the Petit Chef series, this story not only combines simple storytelling with science facts and emotional intelligence learning but also encourages hands-on activities and even some foreign language instruction, keeping young readers engaged and active.
When Lillou’s little brother catches a cold, she learns that colds happen because germs can travel from one person to another—and they can travel very far, very quickly! The best remedy for being sick is kindness, so Lillou wonders if kindness can also travel far and fast.
First, she asks around and learns that kindness can be both far away and very close; it can travel by mail and from person to person. In fact, because kindness starts with you, it can definitely travel just as far and fast as a germ! Lillou gets to work at once, spreading kindness with hot bowls of homemade chicken soup—and her kindness travels right back to her when she catches the dreaded cold herself!
Inquisitive and kind, readers can follow in Lillou’s footsteps by trying out the soup and cake recipes in the text. The vibrant illustrations make abstract concepts like germ theory easy for young readers to visualize, and several pages at the end of the book provide prompts and space for readers to journal their own kindness journey. Finally, a glossary helps readers to read, pronounce, and learn the French terminology scattered throughout the story.
Like the other stories in the series, Lillou the Petit Chef and the Kindness Journey is a fun and inspiring adventure—perfect for readers who love to discover, try things out, and get things done!
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About the Author
Laetitia Mariani is a French-American children’s book author based between Los Angeles and her native island of Corsica. She writes stories that inspire empathy, emotional growth, and everyday courage in young readers. Her picture book series, Lillou the Petit Chef, follows a spirited 8-year-old girl who solves problems through her love of cooking and a big heart.
Laetitia is also currently working on additional children’s books beyond the Lillou series, continuing her mission to create meaningful stories that spark connection and curiosity.
When she’s not writing, you might just find her in your kitchen teaching your kids how to cook, wandering through nature with a notebook in hand, or curled up with a book and her fluffy cat, Léon. She believes a good children’s book is meant to be enjoyed at any age.
For more information, visit MyLillou.com.
About the Illustrator
Laura Livi is an Italian illustrator and art director with a B.A. in Decorative Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts of Genoa, where she specialized in illustration. With over 15 years of experience, she has worked as both an artist and project manager on cultural and artistic initiatives across national and international platforms.
As the Art Director of Blue Monkey Studio, Laura has led projects in illustration, design, education, and publishing all over the world, including collaborations on merchandising for major franchises such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and The Lord of the Rings.
From 2004 to 2010, she served as Artistic Coordinator for Progetto Club DeA, a hands-on learning initiative developed by the International Library for Children Edmondo De Amicis and the City of Genoa, in partnership with Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Italy.
She is a strong advocate for equal opportunities in the arts, education, and entertainment, and regularly offers training in intercultural communication and social inclusion through art. Internationally, she collaborates on projects supported by the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Program and Erasmus+ .
To see more of her work, check out this book.
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