Recipe by Angela Petrella & Michaelanne Petrella

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers…the place that aims to keep your taste buds on edge, for the next great read that is.

Today’s featured title fits in here at the site even more so than usual.  As you may have noticed, I keep a cooking theme for my blog, even though it’s centered on all things bookish.  Those of you that have been with me know its origins; for those that don’t, let’s just say it all started with a little word play.  Anywho…back to today’s title.  We find ourselves at home in the land of Children’s Picture Books but this time with a twist.  You see, there’s a bit of reader participation called for in this story not just on the journey through the pages, but in the kitchen.  Curious?  I fully understand your feelings and in an effort to help quench that desire to know more, I’m jumping right to the meat of this post.  Happy?  I thought you might be.  Today’s book of choice is…

Recipe

By

Angela Petrella & Michaelanne Petrella

Art by

Erin Althea & Mike Bertino

As the title implies, this story is about a recipe; as you can probably ascertain from the images displayed, it features the work of a young chef so things may not turn out exactly as intended…or do they?

You see, this day is special as it belongs not to Mom, but to Kristen…as does the kitchen and dinner is on her; literally by the end of the story as well as figuratively.  *ahem*  Ever imagine giving free reign to the little ones in your life to create, let alone MAKE, a dinner of their choosing?  Yeah…if you have an active enough imagination, than I’m sure you’re probably picturing something along the lines of what occurs in this story.  Thing is, it may not come out as a dinner worthy of human consumption, she is a tiny child after all, but that doesn’t mean it has to go to waste.  Just as one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, one man’s non-edible food pile is another critters delectable feast…an added lesson you didn’t see coming but one certainly worth passing on to the next generation.

Seeing as how this is a picture book, it is certainly a good use of our time together to make mention of those.  The illustrations to me are a lot like the story…more concerned with portraying the feelings of freedom and childlike wonder than the actual details of each and every item.  That’s not a bad thing, it just makes it more free form in design and colorful overall.  Adding another dimension to the fun is the inclusion of a two-sided poster that when not in use otherwise, serves as the dust cover for the book.  Pretty nifty, right?

 

In conclusion, a book that reminds us it is indeed the thought that counts and just because the outcome is not what was initially intended, it doesn’t mean that it has lost all value.  Also, a fun way to introduce kiddos to the kitchen and jump start the imagination of adults stymied to answer that question heard round the world…what’s for dinner!  Review copy received courtesy of the great folks at McSweeney’s McMullens.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their growing catalog of bookish wonders for all ages, be sure to stop by their official site, or catch them over on Twitter.  This book was released October 2013, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf near you.

Until next time…happy reading!