I am honored to participate in the 10th anniversay of an event that I have been involved in since its inception. Here’s to all the readers of the world, big and small, young and old, from all corners of the globe.

DREAMS SHARED IN A BOTTLE

Arletis, Abuelo, and the Message in a Bottle

Written by Lea Aschkenas

Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu

A beautifully written and illustrated children’s book with an inspiring message. Arletis lives on a tiny street in a Cuban village. When she gazes at her location on a map in school, she dreams of the world that stretches beyond her small world. While Arletis is content living with her parents, sister, and grandmother, a tiny voice inside wants to know what lies beyond it.

One day, her parents take her to the seashore. Arletis finds a bottle washed ashore that contains a message in a foreign language. She writes back in her native language and hopes for a response. Thousands of miles away, an elderly tugboat captain answers her message. The rest of the tale is magical. Maybe dreams in a bottle come true.

The author is masterful in creating beautiful language phrases to convey her message. For example, “In summer, the heat got so heavy and thick it rolled down the street in dizzying waves…” Images portray the spirit and emotions of the characters. They literally jump off the pages drawing in the eyes of the reader. Bonus features include a Cuban recipe, glossary of unfamiliar words, and a list of resources to continue learning more. The book will be available in Spanish and English editions. Based on a true story, this multicultural tale will delight children and adults of all ages.

Don’t miss this release in April 2023.

THANK YOU to our wonderful MCBD participants and supporters including Co-Hosts, Medallion and Author Levels Sponsors, book reviewers, book donators, and readers! 

The Dinosaur Who Discovered Hamburgers

Written by Adisan Books

A fanciful picture book for young readers who are obsessed with dinosaurs. The protagonist is a dinosaur who loves to eat. One day he ventures forth to discover the perfect food.

Readers follow him through deserts, mountains, forests, swamps, and rivers. After selecting what he believed to be the perfect ingredients, our dinosaur friend returns home to cook. Something seems to be missing so he visits Dr. Ham’s food technology factory to work on the missing ingredient. Will that dinosaur succeed in finding the perfect food?

Children who love silly humor and/or dinosaur tales will enjoy this picture book. Adults who read the book to children may want to remind them that many parts of the story are not factual.

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When The Sky Roars: Dyslexia Font Edition

Written and Illustrated by Katie Weaver

A little boy is afraid of thunder. He decides he must put his foot down and conquer this fear. He ventures off on a trip to the sky with helium balloons. Once there he meets all kinds of fascinating scenarios like a pirate ship and a family of dinosaurs who are eating their delicious pie.

Bonus extras include a yummy recipe for Berry Crumb pie. Children will lose their anxiety about thunder and enjoy a delightful rhyming picture book filled with imaginative pictures and verse. I particularly like the color enhancement of key vocabulary words and the font that is friendly for dyslexic readers.

Recommended for parents and teachers of children ages three through eight.

Looking for more learning opportunities for the family.

Check out all the resources at http://www.LittleMissHistory.com

Illustrated Step-By-Step Baking Cookbook for Kids: 30 easy and delicious recipes

Written and illustrated by Skye Wade

A fun cookbook for kids of any age.

I particularly like the layout and the comprehensive approach. Basic kitchen safety and setting up are tackled first. The recipes are broken down into food groups. You can choose by the amount of time the recipe involves or the type of meal. There is a chart that indicates whether it is appropriate for a picnic, special occasion, or a snack. Readers are given explanations of the common vocabulary used in recipes and the type of equipment needed for different recipes. A rating sheet allows the cook to rate different types of recipes so they can critique their masterpieces.

As the author indicates, younger children should always be supervised by an adult.

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The Witch’s Cat and the Cooking Catastrophie

Written by Kirstie Watson

Illustrated by Magdalena Sawko

A witch’s cat decides to cook his witch lunch, but things don’t go as he planned. When the orange cat comes across what he thinks is a cookbook, he gets to work on his surprise treat.

Unfortunately, the cat decides to add a few extras. When the witch sits down to her lunch, she receives an unexpected surprise. The cat tries to undo his mistake and only succeeds in making the situation worse.

There are lots of laughs and surprises for elementary school readers in this richly illustrated and fun picture book. A perfect read-aloud for Halloween or any time of the year.

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Check out more resources at http://www.LittleMissHISTORY.com

Delish Kids (Super-Awesome, Crazy-Fun, Best-Ever) Cookbook Free 12-Recipe Sampler 

Created by Joanna Salz

This book is a sampler of the full recipe book. It contains twelve recipes of the types of food kids absolutely love. These recipes include a unique spin on favorites like tacos, grilled cheese, and hot dogs.

Children will want to try grilled cheese on a waffle iron, taco mac and cheese, and unique recipes for chicken nuggets and Big Macs. Perhaps you can entice them to stir up the mix and match healthy grain bowls.

These are perfect for late elementary grade and middle-grade students. A nice way to set up a family cooking project teaching session. The authors have come up with a clever marketing technique. Many purchasers will want to buy the entire cookbook with 100 recipes.

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Check out a zillion learning opportunities for the family at http://www.LittleMissHISTORY.com

Food Network Magazine The Big, Fun Kids Baking Book Free 14-Recipe Sampler! 

Provided by Food Network Magazine

This recipe sampler is the perfect way to entice budding young chefs into the kitchen. They are the types of foods that children are interested in eating so they will be attracted to baking them. Muffins, brownies, cakes, and cupcakes are definitely favorites among this age group. Perfect choice for middle-grade readers who can read and follow these recipes independently or to use as a family project to involve all the members of a family working together.

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Check out all my learning opportunities at http://www.LittleMissHISTORY.com

No Bake Recipes for Kids: Cooking with kids Series Book 6

Written by Debbie Madsen

These recipes were designed for kids under the age of ten but are appropriate for any age family member. What adult would not be enticed by easy no-cook recipes that can be whipped up in just a few minutes?

Madsen provides a wide variety of recipes that include breakfast, entrée, snack and dessert choices. I particularly like the fact that she emphasizes preparation and safety while working in the cooking. Her introduction includes a section that reminds parents of the servings that children need to include in each of the food groups. Perennial favorites include milkshakes, waffles, and quesadillas. Ingredients like milk, honey, cheese and eggs are combined with grains like oatmeal, tortillas and noodles. Lots of popular fruits like bananas, grapes, and strawberries pop up with veggies that parents would love their children to eat.

I won’t hesitate to try some of these recipes, even though I don’t have children in the kitchen. One minor criticism. There are no pictures of these mouth-watering treats.

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Bubbe’s Sweet Surprise

Written by Sherry Dahl

Illustrated by Mike Motz

Three puppies set off to find the perfect birthday present for their Bubbe (grandmother). She speaks in Yiddish and they misinterpret her words. This leads to hilarious consequences as they go to great lengths to acquire these things. They get themselves into trouble and create quite a mess.

Bubbe is not upset. What she really wants from her grandchildren is spending time with them and sharing her love with them. The adorable illustrations of the personified animals and the humor will warm the heart of young readers. Children will learn a bit of Yiddish. (a glossary is included)

At the end of the book, there is a recipe for yummy Chocolate Cherry Pudding Cake. After reading about so many goodies, readers might want to try whipping one up. Recommended especially for elementary school-age children, but can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

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SCRAPS TO SNACKS: A Cookbook by Kids for Kids

Written by Lightsabors Phoenix Squadron

This is a unique recipe book written by a robotics team composed of students, ages nine through thirteen. Alarmed by the fact that almost one-third of our food goes to waste, these students compiled a list of recipes that use food scraps.

There are some intriguing entries. They succeed in concocting pizza, ices, candy wraps, chocolate milk and peanut butter pops and apple desserts. For the holidays, why not try Christmas Day French Toast? These students are certainly to be commended for originality. At the end of the book, there is a short profile for each of the students on the team.

This book is a fun twist on a recipe book. Steps are outlined for each recipe, but the photos could be larger to make the recipe more enticing. Recommended for elementary and middle-grade students.

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