Awesome Snacks and Appetizers

August 1, 2013

Gr 3-5-As with most cookbooks, reactions to the full-color photographs will range from "eeeewww!" to "yum!" so everyone is sure to find something appealing in these titles. The offerings in Snacks range from meat samosas to chicken dippers and apple-slice sandwiches. Smoothies contains recipes for strawberry lemonade and a Turkish-style yogurt drink. Veggies includes kale chips and stuffed squash as well as the more common mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. While most of the recipes are perfectly reasonable for beginning chefs, with ingredient lists from 3 to 17 items long and steps anywhere from 2 to 14, adults will need to be on hand to assist in selection and execution. Several features add value for older elementary kids, including an illustrated cooking-tools page and a special-ingredients glossary where they learn more about acorn squash, allspice, chutney, feta cheese, kale, mango, etc. "Try This!" text bubbles provide substitution suggestions for some of the recipes. Overall, these are solid choices with an appealing variety of complexity and flavors.-Heather Acerro, Rochester Public Library, MN

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2013
Grades 3-5 The You're the Chef series cover images are so bright, bold, and, well, mouthwatering, readers are gonna want to cram on their chef's hat, roll up their sleeves, and dive right in. Each title opens with a Before You Start section, covering safety tips, cooking tools, and techniques. Once kids have washed up and found their toolsand located an adult helper for certain tasksthey're ready to tackle the recipes in Awesome Snacks and Appetizers. There are nine recipes total, all super kid-friendly fare, like pigs in a blanket and cheesy fondue. A sidebar lists prep and cooking time, ingredients, and equipment, while the remainder of each recipe consists of simple numbered steps; small, illustrated diagrams; and, of course, drool-inducing pics of the finished dish. The titles conclude with further reading, a listing of special ingredients, and metric conversions. Get cookin'.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2014
In each volume, a handful of recipes (e.g., pigs in a blanket, sweet potato fries, no-cook s'mores) are accompanied by large color photographs of the prepared dishes and illustrations of complex steps. Instructions are thorough and clearly worded, and sidebars provide suggestions for substitutions. The same introduction offers information on safety, equipment, and techniques. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)