Look and Cook: A Cookbook for Children

The recipes in this book are very simple, to me anyway, but for my 11 year old grandaughter they are perfect. We both love this cookbook and have spent several sessions together trying different recipes. She has discovered it is not that hard to cook and have it taste so good as she thought and is getting more adventurous with each get together. I would call it a companion cookbook. It also looks very cute sitting on the shelf as a decorative item...I may have to order another one.

I was looking for a cookbook to give my 8 year old daughter that could also become a cherished possession as she got older. This book fits the bill! It has the feel of an adult cookbook with real recipes - not cutesy kid ones. Many of the recipes are classics, and kid favorites - and a few that will certainly be new to our family! And the retro illustrations just add to the classical feel. This book also has space for her to add her own favorite recipes as she learns, so that she can truly make this book her own. I intend to buy one for my five-year old, as well, when she gets a little older. Just as I remember "The Cookie Cookbook" from Betty Crocker from my growing years, I hope for this to become a treasure for my daughter.

I bought this book mainly because I liked the "retro-ness" of it. It has WONDERFUL retro illustrations on every page, and so is a very attractive cookbook for children. Of course, the look isn't the main issue in a cookbook, and I will say the other features are near excellent too. The spiral binding is a real plus. A cookbook needs to lie flat! The pages are very sturdy. It has handy sections; the first one being several pages illustrating various kitchen tools and equipment. If a child says, "What is a sieve?" they can find it pictured in this section. This section can also be a helpful checklist for a child who wants to start collecting their own kitchen items. There also is a section illustrating the proper way to set a table, a section in the back consisting of several pages to record your own favorite recipes, a section on kitchen safety tips, a section on how to measure, and a page illustrating how to test the freshness of the eggs in your fridge by putting them in a glass of water and seeing if they float or not (the higher an egg floats in a glass of water, the older it is). As for the recipes: They are of the very basic foods, chosen for children: soups; main dishes; veggies; breads, buscuits, and muffins; cakes, cookies, and pies; more desserts; snacks; and beverages. I, as an adult cooking for many years, have my own favorite recipes for most of the recipes in this book, like the blueberry muffins, chicken noodle soup, pumpkin pie, baked mac and cheese, etc. I did make the stove top mac and cheese recipe here in the book and it was easy and good. Everyone has the Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe whenever they buy the chocolate chips, but it is in here in the book. I found their method for making cinnamon toast a bit strange, by using the broiler! It is much easier for a child to put bread in the toaster, spread the hot toast it with butter, and then sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar on. The strangest recipe is called "Pig in a Poke"...you bake a hot dog in a whole potato! I want to try that one! My daughter will be preparing the tuna casserole for dinner tonight. Overall, I highly recommend this book because of all the good information it gives children about working in the kitchen and for its beautiful and pleasing design. It would make a wonderful birthday gift to any child who has an interest in cooking.

I bought this for my 4 year old daughter after she spotted it in a store. It is beautifully illustrated and has a retro feel which I love. Recipes are simple, perfect for children (or adults) of any age. We made blueberry muffins and can not make to make many more! This would make a great gift. I purchased a second copy to give along with a child's apron.

Kids will love it. The whole look and feel of the book is designed to invite kids in and make cooking fun rather than intimidating or complicated. The book is beautifully designed with nice touches like a big spiral binder and heavy pages that allows the book to lie flat and stay open to a certain page... perfect for kids. The recipes are simple and taste great.