Fanny in France: With French Adventures and French Recipes

Gr 3 Up—Waters recounts the memories of her nine-year-old daughter, Fanny Waters. Cheerful vignettes evoke Fanny's experiences cooking, eating, and exploring her way around France with her mother and a revolving cast of friends. Fanny helps make a bouillabaisse, tastes fresh sea urchin straight from the sea, and hikes deep into the Pyrenees to observe a shepherd make cheese from sheep's milk. Arnold's gorgeous ink and watercolor illustrations bring the French countryside and many lively meals to life. Despite the clear prose and evocative illustrations, the text conveys a nostalgia and lifestyle typically more attractive to adults than children. Moreover, many of the recipes are long and involve such sophisticated fare as "couscous royale with chermoula." Still, this is an attractive supplement to more traditional nonfiction works about France and French culture and will work well for patrons doing reports or studies in that area. Additionally, young chefs and readers who have mastered Mollie Katzen's cookbooks will be happy to try the more advanced recipes presented here.