Beluga Whales, Grizzly Tales, and More Alaska Kidsnacks: Fun Recipes for Cooking with Kids

PreS-Gr 3—A collection of 25 brief recipes with Alaska-themed names, such as gold nuggets (caramel popcorn), grizzly tales (pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate and candy sprinkles), and pig in a pipeline (sausages wrapped in crescent roll dough). The recipes rely heavily on processed foods such as instant pudding, beverage mixes, food coloring, corn syrup, and ready-made cookie dough. Fresh vegetables (celery stalks and onions) are used in two recipes, and fresh fruit (cooked into applesauce) features in one. The directions frequently require appliances or tools that are unsafe for small children, leaving little for young helpers to do. Each page includes a sentence describing an aspect of Alaskan life; however, there is little that connects these recipes to that location; they could as easily have been named after characteristics of any other state. The small font, absence of a glossary of cooking terms, and two introductory pages directed at adult readers indicate that the book is not intended for children to use alone. With its paperback binding, the volume does not lie flat for easy reference. The colorful watercolor illustrations do steal the show, making the work a visually pleasing experience.