An irresistible tale of a sweet-as-biscuits friendship, BOOKIE AND COOKIE is both a fun and thoughtful picture book about the emotions and everyday obstacles of childhood, and a beautiful, inventive object to be treasured and enjoyed together..

BOOKIE AND COOKIE
by Blanca Gómez
Penguin/Rocky Pond Press, Fall 2024
(via Writers House)

Meet Bookie and Cookie. They are best friends. Bookie loves to read. Cookie loves to bake. Bookie lives in the left page of the book, and Cookie lives in the right. When they spend time together, Bookie ALWAYS goes to Cookie’s right-side page, where they share a plate of yummy biscuits. As much fun as this is, one day, Bookie decides it’s time for Cookie to visit his left-side page.

When Cookie refuses, Bookie doesn’t understand why he’s being so stubborn. When Bookie presses, Cookie doesn’t understand why he’s trying to fix something that isn’t broken. (Plus, Cookie is a little nervous about leaving his safe, familiar right page of the book.) So the friends say hurtful things to one another and retreat to their respective pages, feeling MAD.

But soon, the mad turns to sad. They miss each other! Will Bookie cave and return to Cookie’s right-side page, where yet another tempting plate of freshly baked treats awaits? Will Cookie venture outside of his own kitchen, let his friend finally play host, and see the left page of the book for the first time? And what if the duo found a way to play somewhere other than the left or right page?

Blanca Gómez is a picture book creator based in Madrid. Her picture books include Bird House and Dress-Up Day. Her illustration credits include, among others, Very Good Hats by Emma Straub.