Cool Holiday Treats

April 1, 2010
Gr 3-6-A retro look and appetizing photos are among the best features of these information-rich books. Safety, tools, supervision, and ingredients are addressed in introductory sections, followed by seven easy recipes per volume. Children are encouraged to try variations on the recipes and to experiment, but to seek adult guidance where appropriate. Recipes range from the classic (pecan pie) to the truly unusual (cheddar cornbread dog biscuits). The design is rather cluttered, and some details might be overlooked because of it; instructions are broken into minute steps. While these titles will be excellent for teaching procedural writing and are fun to check out, they will not replace larger, more comprehensive kids cookbooks.

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July 1, 2010
The page count in this series of baking books is evenly divided between fundamentals of basic techniques such as measuring, creaming, and beating, and about a half-dozen recipes. A note to adult helpers begins each volume. The step-by-step directions are easy to follow, and the recipes--ranging from pound cake to pumpkin bread--have plenty of kid appeal. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)