THINK QUICK with author Penny Parker Klostermann

Hi Penny! Congrats on the release of A COOKED-UP FAIRY TALE.  I love how this story unites many different fairy tales through food. That’s a winning recipe! All of the THINK QUICK themes below appear in your book. Let’s see which way you lean.  Remember, THINK QUICK!

On practice:

Practice makes perfect or throw it together in a pinch?

Throw it together in a pinch. Which rarely works J

On Following your Dreams:

Fortify with failure or stop while you can?

Fortify with failure. Fortifying with failure can lead to fantastic things.

On Making Mistakes:

Embrace or Fix?

Embrace mistakes. Or go crazy.

On Happily Ever After:

Tried and true or too good to be true?

Too good to be true. We will have “happily” times but not “ever after” because life is life. So I try to embrace the “happily”, get through the “not-so-happily” times, and know life will bring both.

On Fairy Tales:

Cinderella or Snow White?

Cinderella. At least she got to know her prince before he returned her slipper and asked for her hand in marriage. If she hadn’t of liked him she had the chance to exchange her glass slippers for tennis shoes and sprint like the wind in the other direction. But Snow White is awakened by a kiss from a passing stranger and that’s that!

On Fairy Tale Food:

Apples or pumpkin?

Pumpkin. But only if it’s in a fairy tale and becomes a beautiful coach in which I can take an afternoon drive. And if that isn’t possible then a nice, warm loaf of pumpkin bread with oodles of butter would work too.

On Recipes:

Baked or boiled?

Baked all the way. I have a sweet tooth and what better way to feed it than baked goods?

On Cooking:

Love it or leave it?

Leave it…unless it’s baking!

Alone or together?

Together. They say too many cooks spoil the broth but cooking together can be fun and tasty. Especially if “together” is with my three sisters. The four of us never spoil the broth. In fact when we gather in a kitchen, everyone eats happily-ever-after!

On Books: (obvious answer just for fun)

A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale or A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale?

Very tough choice here. But I’m going to have to go with A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale

Thanks for THINKing QUICK with us, Penny! I've whipped up a review for A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale:

(Review by Carrie Charley Brown)

Children's minds are filled with ideas about who they might like to "be" when they grow up. Sometimes those ideas change daily! It's fun for children to imagine themselves in different roles and one kiddy favorite is learning to bake or cook. Usually Mom or Dad or Grandma play a role in fostering this love as they work side by side to teach their children the secrets of a successful cook.

Kids will relate to author Penny Klostermann's main character, William, who has a long-time dream of being a chef. Although William produces delightful dishes that turn out just-right each time, he could not quite find the just-right place to work.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work for the Three Little Pigs? How about The Three Bears or The Gingerbread Man? William has been there and done that, and despite his talent, he's faced more than a few challenges on the job. He makes a tough decision to do his own thing at home, but with no money to invest, he must tap into unexpected ingredients and new characters to make a difference.

Delightful tastes will surprise you at every turn of this clever tale. Additional tie-ins from Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Cinderella make this story a fairy tale mash-up unlike any other.  

Penny Parker Klostermann is the author of A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale and There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight, both from Random House Children’s Books. She loves all kinds of books, but especially loves very silly picture books that make her laugh. Penny has been known to hug her favorite picture books and seriously hopes that someday her books will gain huggable status too. You can learn more about Penny on her website at

https://pennyklostermann.com/.