From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8–Filled with recipes for old-fashioned dishes like tuna casserole, cream of tomato soup, and gingerbread men, this attractively designed cookbook may appeal more to nostalgic adults than to children. The selection of recipes is long on sweets and shy on fresh vegetables and fruit. There's no denying the appeal factor of much of this comfort food, and the step-by-step directions are usually clear, although adult help and some knowledge of cooking will be required for many of the dishes. For instance, to make baked macaroni and cheese, readers are not told to stir the sauce after adding the milk, a pretty significant omission. It's a plus that there are extras like safety tips, measurement equivalents, and how to set a table. However, the vintage illustrations in these sections don't show any of the modern equipment called for in some of the recipes. The author has apparently scoured old cookbooks for the very spiffy pictures (mostly from the 1920s through the 1950s) and has put the whole together in a book that pulls off being a great meld of elegant and kitschy. Yet it may be best suited as a gift item (there are pages at the back where readers can write in their own favorite recipes). It's aesthetically pleasing, though, so consider this if you purchase for large collections.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description
Somewhere between banging the table with a spoon and refusing to eat Brussels sprouts, children are captivated by the magic that takes place in the kitchen. Transforming a lump of dough into a chocolate chip cookie, watching a pancake puff up on the griddle, rolling meatballs between their hands are all enchanting to children. Look and Cook features 50 simple recipes for kids of all ages that capture the fun of cooking. The kid-tested recipes are clearly explained and colorfully illustrated with vintage cookbook artwork. Author and designer Tina Davis has been collecting cookbooks for more than two decades. Some of the recipes she includes here, such as Popcorn Balls, are reproduced from her favorite books. Others such as Fruit Salad and Meringue Cookies come from her family's collection and have been passed down for generations. From Salmon Loaf to Blueberry Muffins, all of the dishes are classic favorites easy enough for a child to make with a little supervision from an adult. To acquaint kids with the kitchen, Davis describes different utensils and their uses, then explains some rudimentary techniques, like how to measure ingredients and clean up afterward. Junior cooks can personalize the book by adding their own recipes to the blank Notes section.

About the Author
Graphic designer TINA DAVIS is the principal of Tina Davis Design. She counts Knopf, Abrams, and Chronicle Books among her clients. She holds an MFA from Yale and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Somewhere between banging the table with a spoon and refusing to eat Brussels sprouts, children are captivated by the magic that takes place in the kitchen. Transforming a lump of dough into a chocolate chip cookie, watching a pancake puff up on the griddle, rolling meatballs between their hands are all enchanting to children. Look and Cook features 50 simple recipes for kids of all ages that capture the fun of cooking. The kid-tested recipes are clearly explained and colorfully illustrated with vintage cookbook artwork.Author and designer Tina Davis has been collecting cookbooks for more than two decades. Some of the recipes she includes here, such as Popcorn Balls, are reproduced from her favorite books. Others such as Fruit Salad and Meringue Cookies come from her family's collection and have been passed down for generations. From Salmon Loaf to Blueberry Muffins, all of the dishes are classic favorites easy enough for a child to make with a little supervision from an adult. To acquaint kids with the kitchen, Davis describes different utensils and their uses, then explains some rudimentary techniques, like how to measure ingredients and clean up afterward. Junior cooks can personalize the book by adding their own recipes to the blank Notes section. Author Bio: Graphic designer TINA DAVIS is the principal of Tina Davis Design. She counts Knopf, Abrams, and Chronicle Books among her clients. She holds an MFA from Yale and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

New cookbooks serve up all the tips and recipes a young chef might knead. Vintage illustrations from the 1900s through 1960s dress up the classic fare found in Look and Cook: A Cookbook for Children by Tina Davis, which also grace the spiffy cover that conceals a handy spiral binding. Beginning with tips for measuring correctly and cooking safely, the pages brim with recipes for soup, entr es and grand finales-including all-American standards, from Tuna Noodle Casserole to Apple Pie. Blank pages at the end leave room for new favorites, to attract new generations of hungry mouths to the dinner table. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal