Cooks + Books: Children’s Literature & Cooking for Your Local Community
Nourishing Literacy!
Welcome to Sticky Fingers Cooking! We have a fun and unique way to stay connected to your young readers & your community.
Since 2011, Sticky Fingers Cooking has taught 51,000+ kids ages 3-18 in over 400 schools, libraries, recreation centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, and YMCA's. Sticky Fingers Cooking has created a fun way for authors to connect with their readers, for libraries to connect with their communities and for indie bookstores to connect with customers and for kids to connect with the art of cooking, healthy eating and to help grow their love of literature.
Here are some things to know about our program whether you're looking for in-person or online cooking class opportunities for your library:
- We have run over 200 cooking classes & camps in libraries in Colorado & Illinois!
- Scheduling is FLEXIBLE!
- Our interactive cooking classes incorporate S.T.E.A.M., culture, language, history and more!
- ALL ALLERGIES ARE ACCOMMODATED and our recipes are ALWAYS 100% NUT FREE.
Cooks and Books Series
Pair the love of reading with food with our literature + cooking program! We can host safe, fun and enriching cooking classes for the families who frequent your library. Our Cooks + Books series combines kids’ love of storytime with their excitement and eagerness to get in the kitchen! Are you highlighting a specific children's book or celebrating any particular authors? We have a database of over 800 original recipes to pair with the book of your choice. The perfect match for the young bibliophile & foodies in your community!
"What is more fun than cooking? What is more fun than reading and writing? Well, the only thing that is more fun is both of these together! I'm so excited that Sticky Fingers Cooking and fabulous Denver indie bookstore BookBar are teaming up to give me a chance to share my new cooking-themed book for young readers, NIXIE NESS, COOKING STAR, in a online class for kids and families complete with writing tips AND cooking tips." - Author, Claudia Mills
"I had a blast at Sticky Fingers yesterday... Thanks so much for letting me join the fun! This looks like such an amazing program for kids in these challenging times." - Author, Claudia Mills
Some example book and recipe pairings are…
Book: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Recipe: Mischievous Red Pepper Goulash + Wild Rumpus Buttered Noodles + Green Monster Milkshakes
Book: Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
Recipe: Golden Snitch Pineapple Cake Pops + Fast-as-Lightning Pineapple Icing + Madam Pomfrey's Iced Pineapple Smoothie
Book: Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
Recipe: Dragon Party Street Tacos + Cilantro Lime Rice + Easy NOT SPICY Salsa
Book: The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake by Joanna Cole
Recipe: Ms. Frizzle’s Chocolate Birthday Cake + Experimental Shaken Cream + “This Takes the Cake” Berry Sauce
Book: Monkey with a Toolbelt & the Maniac Muffins by Chris Monroe
Recipe: Chico Bon Bon Banana Split Blueberry Muffins + Monkey Milkshakes
What does Sticky Fingers Cooking ONLINE look like?
We can host safe, fun, interactive and enriching cooking classes for the families who frequent your library in your community! Our highly experienced crew of passionate, creative and dedicated chef instructors join groups of children virtually while everyone remains in the familiarity, safety and comfort of their own homes. Our online classes are designed to foster independence and safety in the kitchen.
Online Class Details:
- Age: depending on the book, we can open the class to everyone or specific ages!
- Group Size: up to 10 kids/families
- Program Time: Scheduling is flexible! Let us know what is ideal for you and families. Typically classes run 1-1.5 hours.
- Program Length: Customizable! Example: We can schedule a one off class, once a month, or a session (ex: Mondays from 4-5pm for 4 weeks). Contact us to discuss what scheduling options are available
- Zoom is integrated into our website. Guaranteed 100% safe, secure online classes! If registration is completed through our website, families would log in to access zoom or we can use your platform of choice
- Pricing: Pricing varies depending on schedule. Contact us for details!
Things to know about online classes:
- Our chef instructor will read the selected book, or a passage from the book, then guide your kids/families through a recipe from the comfort & safety of their own homes
- A welcome letter will be sent to participants in advance which includes: the recipe, an equipment checklist and shopping list
- Recipes can be adapted to fit into your book of choice! Are you highlighting a specific author, theme or book? Let us know!
- Parent assistance may be required depending on the child’s age and skill level
What does Sticky Fingers Cooking IN-PERSON look like?
Sticky Fingers Cooking is a 100% mobile cooking school for children that specializes in hands-on enrichment classes. Our talented and experienced chefs bring all of the ingredients, supplies and equipment required to lead a safe, fun, interactive and educational literature + cooking class. All we need is a space with tables, an outlet, and access to a sink. In-person classes are currently available in Texas, Illinois and Colorado.
Here is a sample of our class layout: We can run a cooking class ANYWHERE! No kitchen required! Our instructor arrives 15-20 minutes prior to the start time to set up in the designated area. Class begins with checking our roster then jumping into reading the book of choice (can be read by your staff or our chef). Once storytime is complete and hands are washed, we transition to cooking a delicious recipe that is relatable to the book. Students do all the slicing, chopping, grating and mixing as a team then we sit and eat our scrumptious creation. Class wraps up with a discussion about the book and recipe then we clean up!
In-Person Class Details:Things to know about our in-person cooking classes:
- Age: depending on the book, we can open the class to everyone or specific ages!
- Group Size: up to 14 participants per 1 chef instructor (up to 18 if staff or a parent assists)
- Program Time: Scheduling is flexible! Let us know what is ideal for you and families. Typically classes run 1-1.5 hours (we can also run a camp style class up to 3 hours)
- Program Length: Customizable! Example: We can schedule a one time class, once a month, or a session (ex: Mondays from 4-5pm for 4 weeks). Contact us to discuss for availability
- Pricing: Pricing varies depending on schedule and group size. Contact us for details! We can offer a price per student or a flat rate
- Our instructors are all FBI background checked and fingerprinted through state and national databases.
- We follow all CDC and district cleaning, sanitizing and safety protocols related to COVID-19. Safety is our top priority.
Things to know about in-person classes:
- We come to you! We can cook inside or outside. All we need are tables, chairs (optional), an outlet, and a nearby sink for hand washing
- Our chef instructor will provide all the necessary equipment, supplies and ingredients
- Our recipes are always 100% nut free and can accommodate any and all food allergies
- COVID-19 Safety Standards in place by Sticky Fingers Cooking:
- All our chef instructors are ServSafe trained and certified
- All instructors are fingerprint background checked
- All instructors are covered by workers compensation and insurance
- All instructors are required to take their temperatures daily and report to Sticky Fingers Cooking
- Equipment will be washed and sanitized. prior to use and after class.
- Food contact surfaces and food preparation surfaces will be washed, rinsed, and sanitized before, during and after class.
- Our instructor will wear a face mask throughout class.
- Children will be expected to wash their hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds at the beginning and end of class, during class, and before eating. Hand washing will always occur after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing, or touching the face.
- If the kids are not "quarantine buddies" we will ensure social distancing takes place.
- We request that children wear a face mask during food prep
Additional Information:
- Our knowledgeable staff is available to help with any ingredient substitutions needed to modify recipes in order to accommodate allergies or sensitivities
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We have a FULL service website with online enrollment, payment collection, and class roster organization. We also happily work with organizations who have their own centralized registration!
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Sticky Fingers Cooking can provide marketing material to promote classes either via online e-flyers and/or paper flyers and posters
- We’d love to co-market on social media! You can find us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK and PINTEREST
CONTACT US HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS - OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION - Thank You!
