Best Kids Cookbook

Danielle Kartes is an author, recipe maven, and entrepreneur living near Seattle, Washington with her husband Michael, a photographer, and their two sweet boys.  Together, the Karteses run their boutique food, lifestyle, and commercial photography business, Rustic Joyful Food. Rustic Joyful Food promotes loving your life right where you are, no matter where you are, and creating beautiful, delicious food that’s fuss-free with whatever you have available to you. Danielle and Michael are also the principles of the Rustic Joyful Literary group, the agency arm of Rustic Joyful Food devoted to the representation of authors in the food and children’s books spaces. Danielle’s newest ventures, in the wine and spirits realm, include the creation of Florescence Grapefruit & Pomelo Vodka and a series of wine varietals under her label French for Water. Danielle is driven by her love for Jesus, her family, and happy accidents in the kitchen. She has written and published four cookbooks, seven children’s books, and one devotional memoir. Danielle appears often on national television and is a regular culinary contributor to The Kelly Clarkson Show. Brooke O’Neill’s passion for art began as a young child living in the city and suburbs of Chicago. She has illustrated several children’s books, including The 13 Days of Swiftness: A Christmas Celebration for Fans. When she’s not drawing, you can find her spending time with family, playing the ukulele, and trying new recipes.

Gr 5 Up--Kartes, best known for appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Today Show, divides this book into breakfast, lunch, dinner, dips, snacks, side dishes, and treats. Icons designate gluten-free, use of the stove, sharp tools, recipes with substitutions, or places where readers can skip spicy items. Packing this with subtle puns, the author adds some whimsy to savory dishes that are surprisingly easy to construct. Cooking tips are noted for chefs to have support, be adventurous, and plan ahead before attempting a recipe. Tips, especially about not overmixing pancake batter and how to pinch, splash, and dash, are essential for any chef, especially beginners. This book takes time to explain a lot of cooking nuances that other cookbooks neglect, like kitchen terms and how to multiply recipes. There are no ratings for easy, intermediate, or advanced. Bold chefs will be curious to try 'spicy watermelon fries with chili powder,' but they may hesitate over the generational staple, a fried bologna sandwich.VERDICT: This book challenges teens to step out of their comfort zone with diverse spices, working with seafood, and tricky recipes, simplified but not condescending.--Laura Dooley-Taylor