I love to watch cooking shows. No cuisine is off limits for me nor is there an age restriction for the contestants. In fact, I really like watching kids cook and bake. I am amazed at the skills I have seen these young chefs and bakers display. They are far more talented than I am in the kitchen. At times I wish I had spent more time with culinary arts. I also wish I had spent more time in the kitchen with my children learning how to cook and bake with them. One of my fondest memories with my kids is making sugar cookies at Christmas time. They weren’t the most beautifully decorated and probably tasted too floury for most, but we had so much fun. This holiday season I thought it would be good to look at some cookbooks written for young aspiring chefs and bakers, and for those who just want to have fun with the children in their lives.

The editors of Food Network Magazine have compiled more than 150 easy and fun recipes in “The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook “(Junior 641.5123 Big). Featuring breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert recipes that will please even the pickiest eaters, this book has full color photos for every recipe and step by step instructions. The bonus section of “Fake-Out Cakes” contains things like Sicilian Pizza Cake that looks so much like pizza I was not convinced it was a dessert at first glance.

“ChopChop: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family” by Sally Sampson (Junior 641.5973 Sampson) is another great cookbook for children. This one features over 100 “super yummy crazy fun totally doable” recipes that have full color photos and clear step by step instructions. This one even includes a “Kitchen Gear” list to let you know what tools you will need to make each recipe. This cookbook features soup and salad sections as well as the standard breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert recipes.

“Plant, Cook, Eat! A Children’s Cookbook” by Joe Archer and Caroline Craig (Junior 641.65 Archer) is a garden to table vegetarian cookbook for families. From plant reproduction to garden pest to healthy eating this book is much more like a seed to table cookbook. Recipes are accompanied by full color pictures and step by step instructions. I really like the growing instructions for each new vegetable featured in the recipes. The Chili-Pepper Hot Chocolate on page 104 sounds delicious!

If you are looking for more international fare try “The Usborne Internet-Linked Children’s World Cookbook” by Angela Wilkes and Fiona Watt (Junior 641.5123 Wilkes.) This book features one or more recipes from countries and regions all over the world. There are chapters about fruits, bread, and cheeses from around the world as well as one on spices. What I like about this book is the internet links to information about each country or region that the recipe is from so that while you get a taste the food from that area you can also learn about the people and the country. Each recipe features step by step instructions and colored illustrations.

“New Favorites for New Cooks” by Carolyn Federman (Junior 641.5 Federman) contains what I would call modern cuisine with recipes for “Crispy Cauliflower Poppers”, “Avocado Toast” and “Strawberry-Almond Milk Shakes”. I can’t remember my mom ever offering me avocado for my toast. This cookbook of 50 different recipes features clear directions and color photos with each recipe and a section on how to open an avocado and more.

Please ask at the Children’s desk if there is something you’re looking for and can’t find right away; we’re here to help. And check out our monthly calendar of programming. We offer a variety of activities for all ages, from story time to book club for teens. You can find more information on our website at www.newulmlibrary.org on the Library Events page.

The library is located at 17 N. Broadway and is open to the public Monday to Thursdays 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday and Saturdays 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.