The Welcome Cookies

Everyone enjoys the cosiness and friendliness of their favourite café. But what happens when the place you love suddenly changes? 

Mabel loves visiting Miss Plum’s Sugar Plum Café and drawing pictures for the arty-smarty wall. But one day, Mabel finds the café under renovation by someone new. She misses her favourite café, and she misses Miss Plum’s smiles. One day, the café reopens, and Mabel reluctantly visits there with her mother. Will this new place provide Mabel with the same joy she felt in the old place? And how will Mabel accept its differences? 

In The Welcome Cookies, Mabel witnesses what she perceives to be the destruction of a place she loved. The story shows how even though we can sometimes mourn the loss of a place and miss seeing people, if we open ourselves to new things, it can mean new beginnings and a chance for new friendships to develop. The story also shows how a child has the power to make someone feel special and welcome.

With sensitive illustrations that give life to Mabel’s emotional responses, this book will have young and old alike wanting to visit their local café to taste the welcome cookies.

Author Biography

Kaye Baillie is an award-winning children’s author with a passion for writing about remarkable people or events. Her stories have humor and heart. 

Kirrili Lonergan is a picture book illustrator, art therapist and mother of four children. She is the co-creator of the ‘Lessons of a LAC’ series and school visit sessions and the author of several other titles for EK, including Ollie’s Treasure and What If … ?. She is passionate about children’s needs due to her former years working as a paediatric nurse.