NEARLY 30 CHILDREN and adults visited the Manteca library this past Wednesday afternoon to take part in making tasty treats and learn some baking basics.
Children learned to make gummies in the shape of a sushi bento box and then baked vanilla cakes in a mug in the microwave.
Kailey Quintero eats the candy she made during Junior Baking session at Manteca Branch Library on Wednesday. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Logan Cuellar makes sushi candy during Junior Baking session at Manteca Branch Library on Nov. 22, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Logan Cuellar makes sushi bento box candy during Junior Baking session at Manteca Branch Library in Manteca on Nov. 22, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
From left, Adeline Quintero makes candy, while her mom Amy Quintero helps her sister Kailey Quintero make candy during Junior Baking session at Manteca Branch Library on Wednesday. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Siblings Caleb Quintero and Adeline Quintero make sushi bento box candy during Junior Baking session at Manteca Branch Library on Nov. 22, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
A candy ball with panda face is set aside during Junior Baking session at Manteca Branch Library in Manteca on Nov. 22, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Dhanvitha Yadlapalli eats her vanilla cupcake during Junior Baking session at Manteca Branch Library on Nov. 22, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Maybe just a few more sprinkles… Alicia Rodriguez adds toppings to her mug cake during Junior Baking session at Manteca Branch Library on Nov. 22, 2023. The monthly program teaches such kitchen basics as measuring skills. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local)
“We first started off the event slow, with just decorating treats, and the children are now baking and decorating their own treats,” said Jocelyn Woo, library assistant.
Woo noted that the session has a lot of educational benefits as the children learn how to measure as they bake and start off with washing their hands.
“Sometimes they have to start over because it is trial and error,” Woo added. “But they learn to make something out of nothing.”
The event is hosted every month, usually on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m., and the information is available on the Manteca Branch Library website.
Harika Maddala is a photojournalist based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. They are a Report for America corps member and a CatchLight Local Fellow.
