Cookies & Character . . .They go hand in hand for me. One of my fondest memories growing up is making sugar cookies with my mother, especially at Christmas time. We’d get out the cookie cutters shaped like candy canes, snowmen, and church bells. We’d mix, roll, cut, bake, decorate, and deliver them to our neighbors and friends. All the while, we were bonding and developing character  in the process.

Introducing Our Featured Friend: Sugar Cookies, Sweet Little Lessons on Love by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Illustrated by Jane Dyer & Brooke Dyer

Character counts. Schools all across the globe have signs in their halls and classrooms displaying character qualities that principals and teachers want to see their students exhibit. Character can be quite an abstract concept for kids unless it’s accompanied  with concrete examples. In the books, Sugar Cookies, Little Lessons on Love and Cookies, Bite-Size Life Lessons, Rosenthal makes the following character qualities come to life by putting them into a concrete item that kids love, sugar cookies!

Endearment
Considerate
Heartfelt
Compassionate
Admire
Forgive
Tenderness
Adore
Expansive Love
Constructive
Unconditionally
Unrequited
Requited
Connected
Heartbroken
True Love
Selfless
Bliss
Cherish
Protect

“Considerate means,
I waited until you got home so we could lick the bowl together.”

“Compassionate means
that when you burn the cookies to a crisp,
I’ll be there to give you a hug.”

“Connected means,
We’re making these cookies together so naturally and easily,
like we somehow know exactly what the other is doing
and what needs to be done next.”

Sugar Cookies is an extra-special book to us because Mom gave it to my oldest son for his fourth birthday, after she carried on our tradition of making sugar cookies at Christmas with him. That was the last birthday that she was alive to celebrate with him. When Christian and I read this together, we all feel a bit closer my mom.

Inviting You To Become Friends with Sugar Cookies:

Enjoy baking some cookies with your kids or class while selecting several character qualities to discuss with them:

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