Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!

Written by Yolanda T. Marshall

Illustrated by Daria Lavrova

Chalkboard Publishing

978-1-771055901

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

2022

 

With Shrove Tuesday on the horizon–March 4 this year–and Christians anticipating Easter, it wouldn't be amiss to review a book I missed when it came out a few years ago. With its charming text and sweet artwork, Hot Cross Buns for Everyone! seems a timely treat of a read.

 

Jackson, a child who loves a yummy hot cross bun, decides to invite his friends to a party for Easter Sunday. With that invitation, all his friends begin their own hot cross bun prep, with adult supervision, of course.  

From Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illus. by Daria Lavrova

Jewel gets her mom to make a big one like her Nonna's cake. Liam's foster parents use his Scottish granda's spicy recipe. Dimitri's father adds the traditional Greek spice mahlepi as well as vanilla. Others add raisins, glaze them with sugar, sprinkle with rainbow colours, or make them dairy- and gluten-free. For some, the version looks a little different like the traditional Jamaican bun and cheese–a sweet loaf bracketing special cheese.

From Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illus. by Daria Lavrova

There are hot cross buns aplenty and more than enough for Jackson's invited guests and all the other school kids and their families. There is so much food to savour that he takes the extras to share with neighbours, a lovely offering for Easter.
 

Easter may not be until April this year but a tasty treat that is shared among friends is never limited to one day a year. And Jackson's love of the bun is a perfect foundation for giving and sharing with community. Yolanda T. Marshall, a well-established Guyanese-born Canadian writer whose books I've only recently discovered, seasons her story of hot cross buns with the flavours of diverse communities and cultures, even sharing a recipe for Spiced Hot Cross Buns–as well as some background information and teaching ideas–at the end of her story. Without overwhelming readers with the varieties of hot cross buns enjoyed across the world, Yolanda T. Marshall lets us see some of the ways they differ, whether through spices and ingredients included or the forms taken. Regardless of their flavours and their presentation, the buns are a source of delight and sweetness, bringing people together to share and appreciate.

From Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illus. by Daria Lavrova

Russian-born illustrator Daria Lavrova, who currently lives in Amsterdam, makes Jackson's Easter party of hot cross buns a joyous and colourful event. From the exuberance of all who bake and partake to the diversity of people and food, Hot Cross Buns for Everyone! becomes a celebration of colour and texture, with the zest that comes from good food shared with generous neighbours.

Everyone came

To eat, laugh, and play!

That's all they did

On Easter day.

Monster vs. Boy

Written by Karen Krossing
Charlesbridge
978-1-62354-356-3
240 pp.
Ages 10+
July 2023

 

...people believe the strangest things, especially when they're scared or upset. I think the stories people share are part truth and part not-truth. The hard part is figuring out which is which. (pg. 126)

This is a story about a boy and a monster. Yes, a real monster that lives in his closet. I know you'll say that monsters don't exist but in the town of Morsh (from "monstrous marsh") where 11-year-old Dawz lives with his little sister Jayla with their uncle Pop, there is a history of monster sightings. Problem is that Dawz hasn't really seen the monster because he doesn't go into that large bedroom closet. Still, his fears about it are very real, especially as the kids were abandoned by their mother after she got weird, talking about a monster with yellow feathers and a scorpion tail.

As Karen Krossing tells her story from two perspectives, we know Dawz is right about a monster living there. Mim is small, with purple scales, gray fur, two hearts, several horns, and she can release smoke and ash from her nostrils. She loves the nest she has built among the boxes and bags. Most of all, she loves when the grown-up opens a book and tells a story from it. She thinks it's absolutely magical.

Books were powerful. Wonders dwelled inside them. Wonders that Mim was missing, alone in her dusty closet. (pg. 6)

But Mim didn't understand how something in the book turned into a story told aloud. She had a book in her nest, and nothing happened when she opened it. Her aim was to learn how to make the book work for her.

But Dawz and Mim's status quo is disturbed when Pop decides to clean the closet and excavate some aprons Dawz's mom had made long ago for the annual Baker's Brawl baking contest which she used to enter with her brother and which Dawz now entered with his best friend Atlas. When Mim tries to scare them away, Dawz realizes that only he can see and hear her. With her nest eliminated–"Her world had cracked open... (pg. 41)"– Mim ventures out, grabbing a pillowcase, a sock, and a book, and finds herself pursued by Dawz and company, including Ronny the pest control guy and Officer Rashmi.

As Mim befriends a cat she calls Raar and struggles to find a new nest, deal with her hunger and her surprising growth, Dawz and Thea, one of Atlas's moms, cope with their injuries from encounters with Mim. It takes a while but both Dawz the Horrible, as Mim calls him, and Mim will need to find their way back to each other in order to alleviate their fears, understand their needs, and appreciate the other for whom they are.

While some readers may pick up Monster vs. Boy because of the promise of a horror story, Karen Krossing's latest middle-grade novel is more a reflection of what we see and fear in others before we know them. Dawz has a lot of baggage because of what he remembers of his mother before she abandoned them and, with his nightmares of monsters, he has essentially created one that lives in his closet. On the other hand, Mim knows the comfort of her closet nest and has no interest in the outside except for the opportunity to hear the stories that come from books. When forced out, she tries to make connections, such as with the cat, but finds herself drawn back to the familiar even if it makes her nervous. Because neither understands the other, until the end, they interpret their actions as threatening or horrible and try to prevent further dangers to themselves. There's much learning about themselves and others as the two go from monster vs. boy to monster and boy.

But beyond the conflictual theme of her story, Karen Krossing also reminds us of the magic of books and reading. Whether being a writer who puts words to paper or a listener who has the words read aloud to them, the process of reading is miraculous, taking us from the mundane to the fantastic. Even the text of a recipe, which Dawz reads to Mim, enthralls her. It's the translation of letters to words to meaning that elevates books from paper and ink to the extraordinary, and even a purple-scaled monster knows this. 

So, open your own closet and see what opportunities there are for new learnings and relationships. Taking a chance on the unknown may be trepidatious but the rewards can be so un-horrible.

The Not-So-Perfect Plan (A Holly-Mei Book)

Written by Christina Matula

Inkyard Press

978-1-335-42917-9

240 pp.

Ages 8-12

April 2023

 

Holly-Mei thinks she has it all worked out. When she sees how exceptional her field hockey teammate Saskia is, and how much time her best friend Rosie is spending with her crush Henry, and the accolades her younger sister Millie gets for her baking, Holly-Mei is determined to shine too. She plans on organizing her friends into a team for the Grade 7 Inter-School Tri-Tournament that includes an open water swim, a race and a Dragon Dash around Hong Kong. And she plans on them winning it.

But life cannot be sweet all the time (pg. 26)

When Christina Matula introduced Holly-Mei in The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly Mei last year, the twelve-year-old was trying to find a foothold in her new home of Hong Kong and make friends. She made great friends in cousins Rosie and Rhys, in Henry and his cousin Theo, girlfriends Rainbow, Snowy and Gemma, and even field hockey player Dev who gives her great advice. But we all know that making friends is just the beginning. It's keeping the friends that can be the hardest part. And when all her friends have different plans for the Christmas break, Holly-Mei feels abandoned. Even when everyone returns from their fabulous holidays around the world, Holly-Mei feels left out as they continue with their rugby, ballet, eco-art club and more. So, when the posters go up for the Inter-School Tri-Tournament, Holly-Mei's plan is to bring her friends–or at least Theo, Dev, Gemma, Rhys, Rosie, Rainbow and Snowy–together, to excel and to win. For her, it's all about the win.

But Holly-Mei is so determined to win that she forgets about the fun. She wants to practise swimming and quiz her teammates on Hong Kong trivia to ensure a win. Unlike Saskia whose parents drive her to succeed, Holly-Mei's friends are looking for activities that bring them joy and that doesn't always work with Holly-Mei's plan. Worse yet, Holly-Mei keeps putting her foot in her mouth every time a friend chooses to do something other than practice or drill. Will she hold onto the very friends she is desperate to keep, or will Holly-Mei end up losing those friends in her efforts to win at all costs?

I try so hard, but I feel like no one sees me and I get left behind. (pg. 108)

Though Holly-Mei is living a very privileged life with a loving family, private school, wealthy friends and family, and many, many opportunities, she is still struggling to appreciate herself, both strengths and weaknesses, and accept that others may be different from her. Her "knowledge of self" (pg. 108), as her Ah-ma calls it, is negligible and it drives her to envy and, worse, jealousy and selfishness. But, as with every coming-of-age story, there's the beginnings of self-awareness that will lead to greater maturity and understanding of self and others. Christina Matula lets us follow along with Holly-Mei as she learns about herself and how she interacts with others, becoming a more positive version of herself as a friend, a sister, and a daughter. And she, Christina Matula, makes that journey of self for Holly-Mei and her friends more than lesson-learning. That would be a win in itself, but that accomplishment of self-discovery is achieved through a series of fun ventures that take young readers along the Eight Immortals Trail, to Repulse Bay and Man Mo Temple and enjoying xiao long bao, egg waffles, and bubble tea. (Two recipes, one for Candy Cane-White Rabbit Chip Cookies and the other for Millie's award-winning Chocolate Avocado Cake, are included.)

I think middle-grade readers will enjoy exploring Hong Kong further with Holly-Mei in The Not-So-Perfect Plan but they'll also grab a lesson or two about being a friend and becoming self-aware and that's a gold-medal achievement.

• • • • • • •

 

The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei (2022)

The Not-So-Perfect Plan (2023)

🤫 n.b. I just learned there will a third book, titled The Not-So-Simple Question, in the Holly-Mei series.

The Book of Elsie (Orca Currents)

Written by Joanne Levy

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-3424-8

160 pp.

Ages 9-12

RL 2.8

August 2022

With the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim–that commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people against the evil Haman in 5th c. BCE  Persia, as told in the Book of Esther–Elsie Rose-Miller is buzzing with excitement. For her synagogue's Purim party, she's planning on going as the fierce Queen Esther. Abba, her father, is a theatre costume designer and he's helping with her dress. But when her other dad who is on the temple's board learns that the party will have to be cancelled because of finances, Elsie jumps into action, emulating the strong Queen Esther, determined to save the party and the synagogue.

Rallying Rabbi Alisha and members of their Sunday school, Elsie suggests selling tickets to the Purim party and extending sales beyond their temple. It would seem that everyone is on board and sales are going well, especially with some hamantaschen cookies (recipe appends the book!) to accompany the tickets. But community outreach becomes a little tricky, particularly when approaching strangers, and Elsie and her best friend Grace must contend with antisemitism and racism respectively. Worse yet, when a hate crime is perpetrated against the synagogue, a cancelled Purim party may be the least of their worries.

Joanne Levy has written several middle grade novels where she enlightens young readers about Jewish traditions and the community (e.g., Sorry For Your Loss, The Sun Will Come Out) but this may be the first in which she tackles antisemitism and hate crimes against the Jewish community. That's a heavy topic but Joanne Levy embeds it in a story about courage and communities rather than focusing on the violence or the brutality of offensive remarks. Both Elsie, a Jewish child, and Grace, a person of colour, are exposed to the hate but their histories with that hate are different and, as such, their immediate responses may be different. They both recognize the ignorance involved; however, as part of communities of caring individuals, they see beyond the fear and sadness–"Hate has never solved any problems" (pg. 130)–and work to make things better. 

The story line is strong, encompassing social justice and Jewish traditions, tolerance and inclusivity. But the writing is persuasive, especially as Joanne Levy has written it as a hi-lo (high interest-low reading level) book, thereby reaching a wider audience with her story. As part of the Orca Currents series, The Book of Elsie may be geared to middle graders who are reading below grade level but it's actually opened up the opportunity for younger readers, middle graders and even teens who are striving to read to get a compelling story with a contemporary theme. In a time when hatred is voiced openly on social media and threatens many communities, The Book of Elsie reminds us that there is goodness out there and, with a little courage and determination, it can overcome everything.

Baby Cakes

Written by Theo Heras

Illustrated by Renné Benoit

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-030-7

24 pp.

Ages 1-4

October 2017

If Baby Cakes don't sound yummy enough, wait until you see Renné Benoit's illustrations of the children and kitten at play baking.  They are sweet and delightful and wholly scrummy.

From Baby Cakes 

by Theo Heras

 illus. by Renné Benoit

An older sister and little brother, with tuxedo kitten in tow, don their aprons, gather their ingredients and baking utensils and set to work.  Of course there are a few mishaps–there always are in the kitchen–of spilled ingredients but the two little ones seem to know what they are doing.  Measure, sprinkle, cream, wash, wash again, pour, blend, mix, fill and wait.  Except for brief appearances of a parent's hands to help out with a spill and to put the cupcakes in the oven, this story is that of the labours of the children and the kitten.  As should be, there is a tasty treat to imbibe in at tea time.

From Baby Cakes 

by Theo Heras 

illus. by Renné Benoit

Theo Heras, whose first book with Pajama Press Hat On, Hat Off (2016) was also illustrated by the wonderful Renné Benoit, reintroduces the sister and brother, slightly older now and able to take on a baking project with a little help from a parent. But Baby Cakes is still written for the very young, with Pajama Press' trademark padded cover and sturdy pages, and large bold font and simple sentences of only a few words.  I suspect that Baby Cakes could be the first book young children will be able to read themselves as the repeated readings by an older child or adult will enable them to remember the words and learn to match the visual with the sounds.  Learning to bake and read in one charming book.

But like so many picture books, it is the artwork that will captivate children and adults.  Renné Benoit's illustrations capture the innocence and earnestness of the very young and their efforts to undertake what must seem a monumental task.  The seriousness of their efforts does not take away from their delight in the work and the surprises that happen.  With a much-loved kitten, the children are bonded to their task and to each other, cooperating in their efforts and sharing in the fruits of their labours.  It's a warm scene of family that I wish could be experienced in every household.  Hopefully, Baby Cakes will compel that to happen in more.  With the recipes for chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, as well as vanilla frosting, on the endpapers, everyone and anyone can assist young children in baking some yummy delights, with or without a kitten to help.

From Baby Cakes 

by Theo Heras

 illus. by Renné Benoit

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess

Written by Shari Green
Pajama Press
978-1-77278-033-8
240 pp.
Ages 8-12
May 2017

Why do we think
we can know anything about a person
by how they look
what they can do
what life is like for them now?
Because it turns out
we really can’t.
The only way to know that stuff
is if someone
tells you the story. (pg. 152)

Truer words were never spoken. And these from an 11-year-old Macy McMillan, a child who lost her hearing at age 4 and rarely enunciates words verbally but feels deeply, speaking volumes through signing and in her narration in Shari Green’s latest middle grade novel in verse.

Reluctantly, Macy is preparing for a new chapter in her life, leaving her garden and reading window seat at the pretty house she shares with Mom on Pemberton Street to the home of Mom’s fiancé Alan and six-year-old twin daughters Bethany and Kaitlin. Macy's elderly neighbour Ms. Iris Gillian is also moving, her to a seniors’ facility called Rosewood Manor, and Macy’s mom volunteers Macy for the task of packing Iris’ books and other bits and bobs. Though Macy is initially uninterested in helping, she needs someone with whom she can communicate, even if only by notes, since there are few persons available who can sign, after a falling out with her best friend Olivia and her mother far too busy with her wedding. With a school project based on students’ family trees, Macy is feeling even more untethered, never having known her father and uninterested in her future family.

…and I’m feeling more and more
like a dried-up
all-alone-on-my-branch
leaf. (pg. 26)

But Iris, named for the Goddess of the Rainbow, becomes the grounding that Macy needs to help her find her story. Though Iris, lover of books and baking cookies, is struggling with her memory and health, she is able to share with Macy, often through writing and with some signing, the story of her life, rife with adventures and tragedies, new chapters aplenty, some with endings more sad than happy, but always the right ending.

As Macy struggles with the upcoming wedding, even trying to stop it, and with completing her school project, she is beginning to see her world in terms of the connections she has and is making, all learned courtesy of the Rainbow Goddess next door.

Ever since Steven–the man in the bookshop–
I make a point of connecting with people
who come into my life
because even if only for a moment
their story connects with mine.
That should mean something…
even if there’s not chapter in a café next door. (pg.  67) 

Shari Green, author of Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles (Pajama Press, 2016), has found her story as a writer of extraordinary middle grade novels in verse. Though I suspect she can write just about anything–middle grade, young adult, speculative fiction, non-free verse–her talent is definitely in writing insightfully poignant tales in the impassioned and crisp free verse style. As in her earlier book, Shari Green uses few words, but the right ones, to grow a story of such sensitivity for and awareness of her characters and readers that all will leave the story fulfilled. Her characters’ stories connect with us in ways we cannot put into words. I was astounded that a little girl could gain so much wisdom, courtesy of Iris and Shari Green of course, about life’s stories that she has a middle-aged woman such as myself in tears and heeding her advice.

Hearts are waiting, worrying, hurting
–in need of a message
you can send. (pg. 226)

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess is a message from the writing goddesses that everyone’s life is just a story or series of stories that need to be told to be fully appreciated but no worries here because one of their scribes, Shari Green, has taken on that task capably and, like Iris, with wholehearted extravagance.

youngCanLit for Foodies: Book List

I know that kids love cookbooks and recipe books.  As soon as one cookbook is returned to the school library, perhaps with a chocolate or butter stain, there's a student waiting to take it out. Let's face it: most of us enjoy food.  So, add the pleasure of consumption with experimentation (cooking is a lot like mixing and measuring in a science lab), bonding with your cooking mentor, and reading a book, and you have a terrific sensory experience.

The following books have food or cooking and baking as a integral part of their stories, often providing recipes for readers to try, and teaching about the chemistry and mechanics of growing, preparing and consuming food.  Enjoy this list of youngCanLit for Foodies! 

PICTURE BOOKS

Boy Soup
by Loris Lesynski
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2008

Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog
by Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Rachel Berman
Tundra
24 pp.
Ages 2-6
2009

Community Soup
by Alma Fullerton
Pajama Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2013
Recipe included

The Fragrant Garden
by Day's Lee
Illustrated by Josée Bellemare
Napoleon Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 5-9
2005

The French Fry King
by Rogé
Tundra
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2012
Recipes included

The King's Taster
by Kenneth Oppel
Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
HarperCollins
32 pp.
Ages 4-9
2009

Mile High Apple Pie
by Laura Langston
Illustrated by Lindsey Gardiner
The Bodley Head/Random House Canada
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2004
Recipe included

Miss Wondergem's Dreadfully Dreadful Pie
by Valerie Sherrard
Illustrated by Wendy J. Whittingham
Tuckamore Books
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2011

Mister Dash and the Cupcake Calamity
by Monica Kulling

Illustrated by Esperança Melo

Tundra Books

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

2013

Mr. Emerson's Cook
by Judith Byron Schachner
Penguin
32 pp.
Ages 7-9
2001

My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi
by Filomena Gomes
Illustrated by Ashley Spires
Second Story Press
24 pp.
Ages 5-7
2006

Poetry and Potatoes: A Tale of Friendship, Travels and Recipes
by Troon Harrison
Illustrated by Sue Hellard
Chrysalis Children's Books
32 pp.
2003

Roses Sing on New Snow: A Delicious Tale
by Paul Yee
Illustrated by Harvey Chan
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 5-9
1991

Toads on Toast
by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Colin Jack
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2012

Treasure for Lunch
by Shenaaz Nanji
Illustrated by Yvonne Cathcart
Second Story Press
24 pp.
Ages 4 - 8
2000

Wild Berries
by Julie Flett
Translated by Earl N. Cook
(English and Cree)
Simply Read Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2013

Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year
by Nan Forler
Art by Peter Etril Snyder
Tundra
40 pp.
Ages 8-11
2011
Recipes included





FICTION

The Case of the Missing Deed
by Ellen Schwartz
Tundra Books
189 pp.
Ages 8-12
2011

Everything on a Waffle
by Polly Horvath
Groundwood Books
179 pp.
Ages 8-13
2001
Recipes included

Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival
by Arthur Slade
HarperCollins
224 pp.
Ages 11-14
2008

Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders
by Kevin Sylvester
Key Porter
300 pp.
Ages 10-14
2010

Neil Flambé and the Aztec Abduction
by Kevin Sylvester
Simon & Schuster Canada/Harper Collins Canada
317 pp.
Ages 11-14
2010

Neil Flambé and the Crusader's Curse

by Kevin Sylvester

Simon & Schuster Books for Young People

291 pp.

Ages 8-14

2012

Neil Flambé and the Tokyo Treasure

by Kevin Sylvester

Simon & Schuster

352 pp.

Ages 8-12

2012

One Year in Coal Harbour
by Polly Horvath
Groundwood
216 pp.
Ages 10-14
2012

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings
by Hélène Boudreau
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
208 pp.
Ages 9+
2010 
Recipe included

Real Mermaids Don't Hold Their Breath
by Hélène Boudreau
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
234 pp.
Ages 9+
2012
Recipe included

Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels
by Hélène Boudreau
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
240 pp.
Ages 9+
2013
Recipe included

YOUNG ADULT

Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookery
by Susan Juby
HarperCollins
339 pp.
Ages 13-15
2008

More Than Bread
by Nora Rock
Smith, Bonappétit & Son
205 pp.
Ages 12+
2008

The Opposite of Geek
by Ria Voros
Scholastic Canada
224 pp.
Ages 12+
2013
Recipe included

Recipe for Disaster
by Maureen Fergus
Kids Can Press
256 pp.
Ages 11-14
2009

Way to Go
by Tom Ryan
Orca Book Publishers
224 pp.
Ages 12+
2012

Whatever
by Ann Walsh
Ronsdale Press
200 pp.
Ages 12+
September 2013
Recipes included

Wicked Sweet

by Mar'ce Merrell

Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan imprint)

330 pp.

Ages 14-18

2012

Windfall
by Sara Cassidy
Orca Book Publishers
117 pp.
Ages 10-13
2011










NON-FICTION

The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook
by Kate Macdonald
Illustrated by Barbara Di Lella
Oxford
48 pp.
Ages 8-14
1985, 2003
Recipes included

Burp!: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About Eating
by Diane Swanson
Illustrated by Rose Cowles
Kids Can Press
40 pp.
Ages 10-14
2001

Everything But the Kitchen Sink: Weird Stuff You Didn’t Know About Food
by Frieda Wishinsky and Elizabeth MacLeod
Illustrated by Travis King
Scholastic Canada
112 pp.
Ages 9-12
2008

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook
Retold by Jane Yolen
Recipes by Heidi E.Y. Stemple
Illustrated by Philippe Béha
Tradewind Books
197 pp.
Ages 5-10
2006
Recipes included

Food Fight: A Graphic Guide Adventure
by Liam O’Donnell
Illustrated by Mike Deas
Orca Book Publishers
64 pp.
Ages 11-15
2010

The Good Garden: How One Family Went From Hunger to Having Enough
by Katie Smith Milway
Illustrated by Sylvie Daigneault
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 8-10
2010

How Monkeys Make Chocolate: Foods and Medicines from the Rainforests
by Adrian Forsyth
Owlkids Books
48 pp.
Ages 9-13
1995

Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook
Retold by Jane Yolen
Recipes by Heidi E. Y. Stemple
Illustrated by Sima Elizabeth Shefrin
Tradewind Books
199 pp.
Ages 7-10
2013
Recipes included

The Kids Can Press Jumbo Cookbook
by Judi Gillies and Jennifer Glossop
Illustrated by Louise Phillips
Kids Can Press
256 pp.
Ages 9-13
2000
Recipes included

Native North American Food and Recipes
by Kathryn Smithyman and Bobbie Kalman
Crabtree
32 pp.
Ages 9-11
2006
Recipes included

Pioneer Recipes
by Bobbie Kalman and Lynda Hale
Illustrated by Barbara Bedell
Crabtree
32 pp.
Ages 8-11
2000
Recipes included

Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City
by Hadley Dyer
Annick Press
83 pp.
Ages 9-12
2012

Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm
by Deborah Hodge
Photographs by Brian Harris
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 6-8
2010

Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City
by Deborah Hodge
Photographed by Brian Harris
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 6-8
2011

Who Wants Pizza? The Kids’ Guide to the History, Science & Culture of Food
by Jan Thornhill
Maple Tree Press
64 pp.
Ages 9-13
2010

The Wilderness Cookbook: A Guide to Good Food on the Trail
by Bonnie McTaggart and Jill Bryant
Illustrated by Chum McLeod
Second Story Press
168 pp.
Ages 8+
1999
Recipes included

The World in Your Lunch Box: The Wacky History and Weird Science of Everyday Foods
by Claire Eamer
Illustrated by Sa Boothroyd
Annick Press
121 pp.
Ages 9-12
2012

Bon appétit!