I love to watch cooking shows. No cuisine is off limits for me and there is not age restriction for the contestants. 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. 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 making food with the children in their lives.

One of the cutest trends in cookbooks that I have seen in the last few years is creating recipes that relate to a specific book, movie, video game or television show. This year the library purchased a few of them including, Harry Potter Bake, Create, and Decorate by Joanna Farrow (Junior 641.813 Farrow). Harry Potter fans and budding bakers will love this cookbook. I am a fan of any cook book that includes basic instructions for cooking, baking, and kitchen safety. You will find this book does not disappoint. Learn how to make large cakes, cupcakes and cake pops, cookies and brownies, and basic recipes. There is a helpful guide called the Wizarding Skill Level which lets you know the difficulty of the bake and decoration of each treat featured.

Bluey and Bingo’s Fancy Restaurant Cookbook from Random House Publishers (Junior 641.5123 Bluey) is a great television tie-in cookbook for children. This one is not new this year but features fine dining according to Bluey and Bingo. You’ll find recipes for Omelets to Prawn Kebabs to Pizza Night. Bluey, Bingo and the whole family feature heavily in this graphic cookbook. There are wonderful examples of menus that can be used to recreate your own restaurant at home.

The Official Fablehaven Cookbook: Wondrous recipes Inspired by the Characters from the series by Brandon Mull and Cherie Mull (Junior 641.5 Mull) will appeal to bakers even if they are not fans of the Fablehaven series. Conjure up some Muriel’s Pretzel Knots, or Tanu’s Heartening Tomato Soup with the detailed instructions and color photographs. This cookbook features plenty mouthwatering recipes for all skill levels but also crafts and a short story by Brandon Mull.

Priya’s Kitchen Adventures: A Cookbook for Kids by Priya Krishna (Junior 641.59 Krishna) Priya learned to love traveling from a very young age. At 2 months her parents took her and her three year old sister to Spain. Though she didn’t eat the cuisine then, she did learn as she grew that good food can be found all over the world if you just allow yourself to try it. You will find recipes from twelve different countries along with detailed lessons for cutting vegetables, as well as tips for success.

Bread Workshop by Megan Borgert-Spaniol (641.815 Borgert). This book is about creating yeast doughs and quick breads. Starting with a smart history of bread, moving on to ingredients needed, and tools used for making bread you will learn how to make some of the tastiest breads available. From cornbread to focaccia, you will learn tips and techniques for making bread that you will use your whole life.

Please ask at the Children’s desk if there is something you’re looking for and can’t find it 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 anime 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. The library will be closed on Monday, November 11 in observance of Veteran’s Day.