TITLE: Little Chef Recipes: Tasty Desserts
AUTHOR: Mercedes Segarra
ILLUSTRATOR: Rosa M. Curto
PUBLICATION INFO: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4644-0465-8
SOURCE: Publisher-provided copy
INTENDED AUDIENCE: kindergarten through third grade
GENRE: how-to
SYNOPSIS: Are you hungry for some delightful desserts? From staples like brownies and cheesecake to new foods like “watermelon soup,” children will learn how to make delicious desserts with a parent’s help.
THEMES/TOPICS: how-to, cooking, baking
WHY I LIKE THIS BOOK: You would not believe how difficult it is to create a good cookbook for the youngest children, but Segarra and Curto have done it. This book is much more than a collection of recipes, but a good overview of how to become a “Little Chef.” The book includes a “Before You Start Cooking” section with sound advice on preparing to cook, like washing hands, donning an apron and reading the recipe thoroughly. “Words to Know” in the back uses pictures to show children what key kitchen terms mean, for example “separate” (eggs) or “line” (a baking sheet). It also shows children pictures of kitchen equipment that they might not be familiar with.
Best of all, each recipe includes an illustrated ingredients list and step-by-step instructions. Finley, who can’t read yet, was able to look at the recipe, point to each picture, and describe what we would do in that step. I can’t wait to check out the other recipes in the series: Fun Party Foods, Pizza and Pasta, and Yummy Snacks.
Kirsten W. Larson 
That looks great for kids, with the pictures.
I was amazed at how much information Finley could glean from the illustrations.
Watermelon soup? Okay! Nice expression on Finley’s face,
too!
He was having fun. And they both still want to try “watermelon soup.”
Give a shout if it’s any good!
I’m not sure there’s a way brownies could be bad? 🙂
Great photo! That book looks very age appropriate with all the illustrations!
Enslow always does such a great job.
This sounds like an AWESOME recipe book! 😀
Erik, it is. And I meant to tell you, we got the WISEMAN AND WARRIOR book from the library. My six-year-old wants his own copy. Thank you for the fabulous recommendation.
When I was a school librarian, some of our most popular books were cookery books! Love that pic of Finley!
Finley was definitely getting into it. Perhaps it’s because he’s a choco-holic? Cookbooks are so great for kids. Children have to learn about sequences and how to follow step-by-step procedures. I can’t think of a more delicious way to learn these things, can you?