Do you want to teach your child about pretzels? Read Walter the Baker (ages 4 and up) by Eric Carle. This book is about a talented baker named Walter who replaced his dough with water one day when his milk got accidentally spilled over by his cat. Every morning, he baked sweet rolls for the Duke and Dutchess. When Walter replaced his dough with water, the rolls came out like “stone”. The Duke gave him another chance to keep his job (and stay in town) if he could bake a delicious treat that could shine through the sun three times. After a long night of baking, Walter finally succeeded in making his first pretzel.
I think this book teaches us all a lesson that sometimes the best things come when they are not expected! There is also a fun fact about pretzels in the back of the book. Who knew that “the shape of the pretzel is based on an ancient position for prayer in which the arms are folded across the chest and the hands are placed opposite shoulders”? I didn’t!
Carryover Activity: Have a pretzel snack or make your own pretzels. If you don’t have time to make your own, get the frozen kind and warm up in the oven. Yum!
Also, don’t forget to teach your child all about the difference between using water vs. milk in your dough. For a really fun activity, give your child a sweet roll and then a pretzel. Compare the two and discuss the similarities and differences.