ChopChop: The Kids' Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family

Gr 3–8—By the creator of ChopChop: The Fun Cooking Magazine for Families, this book has a simple concept: teach kids to cook wholesome foods and you will not only get help in the kitchen and build positive family memories, but also set up youngsters for a lifetime of healthy eating. With a balance of health food and kid appeal as well as kitchen chemistry, history, and the facts about smart choices, this is more than a collection of recipes. Many (soups, salad dressings, smoothies, sandwiches, vegetables, chocolate chip cookies, and more) merely provide the basic instructions and then invite kids to build their own; the smoothie section includes a simple chart that they can use to select ingredients that sound appealing. Included in the beginning is a note to children, a note for parents, a list of essential ingredients and equipment to have on hand, and even a seasoning experiment. Each recipe lets youngsters know if an adult is needed, the hands-on time, the total time, kitchen gear necessary, and, of course, ingredients. The photographs show fully engaged kids having a really good time making and enjoying beautiful food. A delicious standout title, sure to inspire the next generation of chefs.—Heather Acerro, Rochester Public Library, MN