Short story beautifully illustrated. Story of a Dutch baker in a fairy tale story of how the baker's dozen became 13 cookies. Recipe included.

A renowned baker who made his traditional Saint Nicholas bishop cookie for the December 6th holiday is asked for a dozen cookies by an old lady in a black shawl. When she asks for a 13th cookie he refuses and she leaves the shop with a warning message. Soon after his baking fails. The next year rolls around to the Saint Nicholas holiday again, but he has a dream. The next day he bakes his traditional cookies and this time he offers an extra cookie as part of the dozen. Thus the "baker's dozen" tradition begins.

I loved this book. I have used the term baker's dozen many times, but never really thought about the origin. This story is a version of how that came to be from an old story out of the Dutch in old New York.

VanAmsterdam is a very honest baker who always makes sure he gives each customer exactly what he pays for, no more and no less. He makes the best St. Nicholas cookies and is always extremely busy. One day, an old woman comes and asks for a dozen cookies, when he gives her twelve, she asks for thirteen saying that there are thirteen in a dozen. When he refuses to give in, she leaves disgruntled, and leaves him with bad luck. Unfortunately as he has more and more issues with his baking, he loses all his customers. He does not know what to do. Eventually the spirit of St. Nicholas helps him learn the joys of giving more than is expected.

The illustrations are amazing. They are true to the period, very bright and colourful and tell the story almost by themselves. They show the village, the people, the wonderful cookies, St. Nicolas and more. They are wonderful.

As other reviewers have mentioned, this book reads like a fairytale. There is the evil witch/villian, the villager who has bad luck caused by the villian, the wish or assistance of a greater being (fairy godmother, St. Nicholas etc) and a happy ending. The message that being generous and giving more than expected is a good one and very easy to see in the story.

This will be added to my holiday library for sure. I also can't wait to try the recipe for the cookies that is included at the end of the story.

This is a beautifully illustrated tale with a wonderful lesson on generosity.
I especially loved the drawings of the cats and enjoyed the author's image.
I grew up with the idea of a Baker's dozen but had not heard this story.
This will make a delightful addition to our holiday traditions.

I did receive an ecopy via netgalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Aaron Shepard's retelling of the Dutch/American legend of how the term "a bakers dozen" came into use, is a delightful Christmas tale that entertains and shares a wonderful moral as well. The Bakers Dozen includes a lesson that reminds us that sometimes giving more than necessary is beneficial in ways that can be unanticipated.

The artistry of the illustrator, Wendy Edelston is amazing and draws the reader into the story. Each panel is chock full of places and things to explore visually bringing Aaron's text to life. I read this at bedtime to my daughter who at ten is still asking for bedtime stories. She told me her favorite part was "everything" but then she took me to one of Wendy's panels that didn't have text and explained that exploring that particular page was actually her favorite part. It just drew her in.

The edition we read together is the 15th Anniversary Edition which includes a Cookie pattern and recipe that my daughter is now insisting we try out for the upcoming holidays. What a great idea to include a way for the readers to work together on a project connected with the book.

Highly recommended. 

The Baker’s Dozen- A Saint Nicholas Tale by Aaron Shepard and illustrated by Wendy Edelson is a beautifully done story of the origin of the Baker’s Dozen. The story is about Van Amsterdam a baker in Dutch Colonial New York, who on Dec 6 bakes St. Nicholas cookies. He is known for being extremely honest and giving his customers exactly what they have paid for. However, one day, an old woman visits him saying that a dozen cookies is 13 cookies. What happens next shows how giving a little more than expected is rewarded. This is a beautiful told folktale with wonderful pictures that would delight any young reader and make a beautiful holiday present to be enjoyed throughout the holiday season.

I received this book from NetGalley and Skyhook Press in exchange for a fair and honest review

Aaron Shepard’s Saint Nicholas tale of the origin of the “Baker’s Dozen,” and how it came to be is nothing less than charming with a nice “lesson” for all. A storyteller by (former) profession, he brings this story to life with a fairy-tale essence, and a lesson that is always relevant. To give credit where credit is certainly due, the illustrations by Wendy Edelson in this tale bring the story even further to life, they are beautifully done, bright and colourful intricately drawn and with an old-world charm. Gorgeous to look at, a nice life lesson for little ones, gently shared, just in time to muster as much generosity of spirit as you can.

In addition to the story, this edition (15th Anniversary Edition) comes with Bonus Cookie Recipe and Pattern for St. Nicholas Christmas Cookies that was adapted from baking with a cookie mold recipe to use with just a cookie sheet.

For those of you who have little ones, those who love beautifully illustrated children’s books, those who like to bake holiday cookies, or those who love to gift thoughtful “welcome” gifts to new neighbors, I highly recommend this.

Especially for teachers working with young students, or for anyone wanting to know more about the author, his website: www.aaronshep.com


Original Pub Date: 6 Dec 2010

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Skyhook Press, NetGalley and author Aaron Shepard and illustrator Wendy Edelson

I have heard and used the term "baker's dozen", but I had never given the origin of it any thought. I did not know it was a Dutch story!

This book is short and cute and interesting, and also includes a recipe.

The illustrations are AMAZING AMAZING!

You and your child both will LOVE this book!

'The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale' by Aaron Shepard with illustrations by Wendy Edelson is a Christmas tale that tells a lesson in being generous.

This story takes place in colonial Albany, New York. There is a baker in the town who is amazingly honest. He gives his customers exactly what they have ordered. One day, an old woman comes in to by some Saint Nicolas cookies and tries to convince him that a dozen is 13. When he refuses to give her more than 12, she puts a curse on his business. Can he overcome the curse and save his business?

It's a story about how the baker's dozen came to be. I loved the way it was told and the illustrations are lovely and detailed. It's the perfect read aloud book for cold Winter nights, but you better have some cookies handy. Maybe a baker's dozen?

I received a review copy of this ebook from Skyhook Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Wonderful story with beautiful illustrations! I always wondered where the practice of a baker's dozen came from! Ages 7 and up will love this charming tale.

The art work in this one is gorgeous! The pictures are highly detailed and will encourage kids to go back again and again to see everything in them. I didn't really love the message of this story, that you are basically held hostage to be more generous than you want to be. To me generosity should come from the heart, not because you're going to go out of business because of a curse.

A wonderfully illustrated story about a baker that learns what it means to be generous. This book would be a great option for a story to tell around St. Nicholas' feast day or as a supplement to a Christmas around the world type unit. Besides being a lovely store to share around the holidays it also has a recipe in the back so you can make your own cookies to eat and give away in December.

I've been living in Holland for four years now and I was really interested in the story of Saint Nicholas. This book didn't fall short!

I'll have to admit that the illustrations captivated my attention first; they are beautiful. The story is well written as well, and explains the concept and history of "a baker's dozen." This will be a wonderful read for the Christmas season, with the bonus of a recipe for the lovely St. Nicholas cookies featured in the story.

4★
This 2010 edition was for the 15th anniversary of its 1995 original publication. It should be just as welcome a gift for children today, 21 years later, as it was then.

This lovely folktale is about why bakers add a thirteenth item to make a baker’s dozen. I’ve read a couple of possible explanations (one is to ensure the dozen isn’t underweight), but I prefer this one.

It takes place in Ye Olde colonial somewhere which later becomes Albany, NY. Heavy Dutch influence, Dutch St Nicholas, Dutch cookies, Dutch designs. Gorgeous!

Van Amsterdam is a popular, prosperous baker who prides himself on his honesty.

“Each morning, he checked and balanced his scales, and he took great care to give his customers exactly what they paid for—not more and not less.”

The Dutch celebrate St Nicholas Day on Dec 6, and his shop is always buzzing with shoppers before this busy holiday. People wait for his St Nicholas cookies.

That is, he’s popular until he refuses an extra St Nicholas gingerbread cookie to an old lady who insists that a dozen is 13, not 12. The old lady responds by declaring:

“Van Amsterdam! However honest you may be, your heart is small and your fist is tight. ‘Fall again, mount again, learn how to count again!’ Then she was gone.”

From then on, his baking went wrong and his business dwindled. A year later, he’s ready to shut up shop when he has a dream where he learns about giving a little more than is asked for.

And that’s where I’ll leave you, gentle reader, although I will reveal (without a Spoiler Alert) that OF COURSE IT HAS A HAPPY ENDING! Plus a recipe to bake your own gingerbread St Nicks in the traditional Dutch style.

It also has gorgeous illustrations, the kind of rich, complex pictures that make you want to spot things. Ask children to find all the cats and the ones watching the mouse; find all the people with their tongues stuck out; find all the yummy breads and describe their shapes; count the St Nicholas cookies.

Thanks to NetGalley and Skyhook Press for allowing me a preview copy of the wonderful anniversary edition of such a delightful book.

I know what a baker’s dozen is, but my boys did not and they quickly gathered around while I read them this beautiful Christmas story. Being of Dutch decent made this story even more attractive to them, and the drawing and colors used drew them in quickly.
The author has done a wonderful job of engaging children, and adults, quickly into this educational story. Told in a way that kept their attention and filled with drawings that matched beautifully with the story.
This book is a real keeper for our home, and it will be displayed on our coffee table, so our friends and family may also enjoy over the Christmas season.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Skyhook Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

The story is delightful and the illustrations absolutely blew me away. A great story about the legend of the baker's dozen in the US. I highly recommend this for people of all ages and faiths. The story is about the spirit of giving more than anything religious.

A lovely little Christmas story paired with exquisitely detailed illustrations make this a book anyone can enjoy.

This finely wrought story of how a baker's dozen came to be is a beautiful collaboration of Aaron Shepard's careful storytelling and Wendy Edelson's fine, old fashioned illustrations. The two complement each other into a holiday classic worthy of gift giving. The moral lesson and cookie recipe makes this a treat for the entire family to enjoy. The intricate artistry and great love for winter tales reminds me of Jan Brett's stories, such as Gingerbread Baby or The Mitten.

The Baker’s Dozen, is a modern take on a traditional tale of why a baker’s dozen is thirteen and not twelve.

Van Amsterdam, runs his little bakery in Albany, New York, a Dutch Colonial. Every day he prepares his goods, and makes sure that he weighs out his ingredients perfectly, as he likes to be a very honest man and give nothing less, nor nothing more than what his customers are paying for.

In the lead up to Saint Nicholas day, which is celebrated on the 6th December, by the Dutch, Van Amsterdam was very busy. His famous Saint Nicholas cookies were selling very well. That is until an old lady comes in and asks for a dozen of them. He counts them out, twelve cookies, but she insists that a dozen in thirteen. When Van Amsterdam won’t let her have thirteen for the price of twelve, she leaves, but not before telling him, ‘Fall again, mount again, learnt to count again’.

Over the next year, his bread and cakes turn out badly and his customers start to go elsewhere. Has the old woman put a curse on him?, and how can he make his shop successful again?

I’ve never really given much thought as to why a bakers dozen is thirteen, but I love this folk tale about why it came to be.

The illustrations have an old feel to them, just like you will find in a traditional book. The story is attention grabbing, and has you thinking that sometimes doing just enough isn’t good enough, and going that extra mile can make someones day.

A perfect book for the holiday season, that I’m sure young children will love.

The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale (Hardcover)
by Aaron Shepard
Learning to value the act of gifting, not that people get only what they pay for but all should get a little bit more. The artistry of the book is similar to the old world books, with beautiful rendition of folk art.

This is a great Christmas story for children about a baker who's luck runs out. I loved it because it felt magical, and gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling. The illustrations are beautiful. Not only do they compliment the story, they greatly enhance it, even though the story is perfect. I would recommend this as a great Christmas story for children.

I thought this was a wonderful tale about how the baker’s dozen came to be. I also appreciate how the story introduces children to a new tradition and culture (St. Nicholas Day and the Dutch culture), and I thought the lesson of having a generous spirit was well thought out and presented so that it was easy for children to see. The illustrations in this book were wonderful, very detailed and elaborate. I also liked the pattern and the recipe. I feel like they were explained in a way which would make them easy for a child to do with a parent’s help. I also enjoy the inclusion of a recipe into the tale (which is about a baker). I feel like it gives the story a more “real” feel, and I like the hands-on approach as well. I feel like a parent or guardian could talk to their child about the story while having fun making their own St. Nicholas cookies.

This is a short, cute tale about the legend of how the baker's dozen started, the 13 not 12 in a dozen.
The illustrations are detailed and highly artistic which my girls and I LOVED!
We found it to be very well written and overall a very cute story!

Beautifully illustrated. Thank you for sharing this treasure with us. I loved this story as a child but this is much nicer than the version I had! :)