Happy Sunday, kidlit friends! As I read the Sunday newsletter about my daughter not being sick, I had to chuckle to myself. Wishful thinking! She came home sick just the day after I wrote the newsletter. These kindergarten germs are so much more vicious than the preschool ones. I was not prepared.
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Today I review several children’s cookbooks as well as two great new releases.
Bookish Goods
Frog & Toad Sweatshirt by JustinsShirtStore
My daughter and I went to a Frog & Toad children’s play this past weekend with friends (before she became ill), and it was so fun! I had to find a Frog & Toad item to celebrate, and this sweatshirt looks perfect for the winter. $33+
New Releases
Kitty and Cat Bent Out of Shape by Mirka Hokkanen
This clever shape book has an adult black cat hiding behind various household items as a white kitten searches for them. Cat contorts into a square behind a cereal box, a circle behind a dresser mirror, a diamond behind a kite, and more. It’s a funny and cute way for toddler and preschool readers to learn shapes.
What Do Brothas Do All Day? by Ajuan Mance
This homage to Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? is a joyous celebration of Black men going about their daily activities. Brothas read books on the subway, wait in line at the grocery store, jump double dutch with neighborhood kids, and so much more. The illustrations are bold and vibrant. An author’s note discusses Mance’s inspiration and how affirming it can be for Black kids to see themselves and their lives represented in picture books.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I am a mediocre cook, but my daughter and I do enjoy cooking together. Here are some cookbooks to try out with the kids in your life!
Look and Cook Snacks by Valorie Fisher
This book is SO easy for kids to follow. Each step in the recipe is depicted with photographs. My five-year-old can almost completely finish a recipe on her own with this cookbook, with me doing all the oven preparations, of course. Her favorite recipes so far have been the nutter nuggets, which are like peanut butter and oat balls, and wrap & rolls, which are like pigs in a blanket.
Recipes for Change: 12 Dishes Inspired by a Year in Black History by Michael Platt, illustrated by Alleanna Harris
This picture book is a fascinating glimpse into Black history through the lens of cooking. Each page spread is divided by months exploring one historical moment with an accompanying recipe. January explores how the Black Panther Party implemented free school breakfast in 1966. The accompanying recipe is “The Black Panther Party’s creamy grits.” Back matter includes a closer look at some of the people mentioned in the book. This is such a neat book.
Kids Can Cook Vegetarian by Esther Coombs
This vegetarian cookbook is part of a series and includes both text for each step in a recipe as well as illustrations so kids can easily follow. We make the banana pancakes frequently! More than 30 recipes are included. Other books in the series include Kids Can Bake and Kids Can Cook.
Nadiya’s Bake Me a Story by Nadiya Hussain, illustrated by Clair Rossiter
This is such a cool book. Each of the 15 recipes includes an illustrated fairytale that relates to the recipe. After making the pumpkin and spice flapjacks, for example, you can read a story about Cinderella and her pumpkins. After making a goat cheese and onion tart, read about some hungry billy goats and their cheese and onion tarts. The stories are silly, and the recipes are yummy. I admit my daughter won’t eat that cheese and onion tart, but maybe one day she will. 🙂
Here’s my daughter making nutter nuggets from Look and Cook Snacks. They were good! She’s not quite ready for Top Chef Junior yet, though.
If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, and blog irregularly at Baby Librarians. You can also read my Book Riot posts. If you’d like to drop me a line, my email is kingsbury.margaret@gmail.com.
All the best,
Margaret Kingsbury