Cook-a-Bookery

Sometimes, a book inspires you to action. This is particularly true with cookbooks, which have a practical use beyond just perusing. Teachers introducing new cultures and traditions may want to include a tasting lesson. Kids and teens might want to stretch their creative muscles and give a new recipe a try on their own. Parents could begin helping their children develop independent skills in the kitchen, one easy ingredient at a time. Whatever the reason, the S-Collection’s cookbooks are educational, fun…and tasty.
To find cookbooks or books with recipes, try a subject search of “juvenile” combined with a keyword search of “cookbook” and/or “recipe*”; you can add keywords like “vegetarian,” “Indian,” or “dessert” to find your favorite type of cuisine!

Brennan, Georgeanne.
Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Dr. Seuss! 2006.
Pair your favorite Dr. Seuss rhymes with silly, delicious treats like Cat in the Hat Pudding and real Green Eggs and Ham!
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. S.641.5 B75g]

Chung, Okwha.
Cooking the Korean Way. 2003.
Chung focuses on the rich culture associated with food in Korea while presenting delicious, easy recipes for san jok (vegetable and beef skewers) and other traditional dishes.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.59519 C472k]

Cotler, Amy.
My Little House Cookbook. 1996.
Fans of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House series will love a chance to make some frontier food that Laura and her sister might really have eaten.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.5123 W645m]

Dahl, Roald.
Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes. 1994.
Some of the names might not be very appetizing — Stink Bug Eggs and Lickable Wallpaper don’t exactly sound delicious — but Roald Dahl promises to please kids in the kitchen with yummy (and silly) recipes inspired by his beloved books.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.5123 D137r1997]

Frankeny, Frankie.
The Star Wars Cookbook II: Darth Malt and Other Galactic Recipes. 2000.
Doesn’t food just taste better when the recipe comes from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away? Each dish in this cookbook, from salad to dessert, is inspired by a Star Wars character or location.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.5 F853S 2000]

Gold, Rozanne.
Kids Cook 1-2-3: Recipes for Young Chefs Using Only 3 Ingredients. 2006.
Kids Cook 1-2-3 is the perfect starting cookbook for even the youngest children. Recipes are friendly to small hands and encourage collaboration between guardians and children in the kitchen; the basic PB & J is represented, but so is more exotic fare, like wasabi-crusted salmon!
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.5123 G563k]

Gordon, Lynn.
Messipes: A Microwave Cookbook of Deliciously Messy Masterpieces. 1996.
Ovens aren’t always kid-friendly — but microwaves often are! This sandwich-shaped cookbook spices up favorite recipes but stays simple enough for young ones to follow.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.5882 G656m]

Groner, Judith.
Maccabee Meals: Food and Fun for Hanukkah. 2012.
The eight nights of Hanukkah can be even sweeter with the recipes in this book; many are paired with activities for the whole family to enjoy.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION 641.568 G898m]

Krizmanic, Judy.
The Teen’s Vegetarian Cookbook. 1999.
New vegetarians of all ages can appreciate the ease and diversity of recipes included in this cookbook; the author also recommends it for parents who unexpectedly find themselves raising — and feeding — a young vegetarian.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.5363 K899t]

Ling, Mary.
The Pirate Cook Book. 1997.
Pirate Pete brings kid chefs recipes from the high seas. He recommends the Scurvy Salsa and Salty Dog Snacks!
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.5 L646C1997]

McCallum, Ann.
Eat Your U.S. History Homework: Recipes for Revolutionary Minds. 2014.
Eat Your U.S. History Homework takes hands-on learning to a whole new level! Recipes include succotash from the First Thanksgiving and Colonial Cherry-Berry Grunts to help kids taste the past. Other books in the series include Eat Your Science Homework and Eat your Math Homework.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.5973 M124e]

McElmeel, Sharron L.
Authors in the Kitchen: Recipes, Stories, and More. 2005.
Children’s book authors from Eric Carle to Yuyi Morales share recipes inspired by their stories — what better way to end a read-out-loud than with a treat!
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 061.5 M153a]

Parham, Vanessa Roberts.
The African-American Child’s Heritage Cookbook. 1993.
Parham uses her home economics background to lay out traditional African and African-American recipes in an easy-to-follow way. She includes little history lessons along the way to explain the origins of familiar recipes.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.59296703 P217a]

Plotkin, Gregory.
Cooking the Russian Way. 2003.
Those looking for a little borscht will find it here, alongside brief discussions of Russia’s changing political and cultural scenery.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S.641.5947 P724c]

Smithyman, Kathryn.
Native North American Foods and Recipes. 2006.
An effective companion to introductory lessons about the indigenous peoples of North America, this cookbook highlights historical facts while describing — and providing step-by-step instructions to make — recipes that have been part of the diets of different Native Nations.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.59 Sm69n]

Vezza, Diane Simone.
Passport on a Plate: A Round-the-World Cookbook for Children. 1997.
Learn about international food customs and etiquette as you make delicacies from the Caribbean, Russia, the Middle East, and more.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 641.59 V649p]

White, Linda.
Cooking on a Stick: Campfire Recipes for Kids. 1996.
S’mores and hot dogs are just the beginning in this outdoorsy recipe book. Kids who love camping are sure to love ideas for food they can cook themselves over the fire.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION 641.578 W584c]

Cookbooks for Young Chefs

Learning to prepare simple but tasty meals can be a catalyst for children of all ages to inquire about nutrition, gardening, chemistry, or the daily life and customs of other cultures. However, finding age appropriate titles can be daunting if you aren’t familiar with the way catalogs organize books by subject. To search for cookbooks appropriate for children in the UIUC online catalog, start with the “advanced search” option. Enter “cookery” in the “search for” box, and select “subject words” from the drop down box to the right. In the next row down, enter “juvenile literature” in the “search for” box, and select “subject words” from the drop down box to the right. Be sure to include “literature” with “juvenile” in the second box, or your results will also include fiction books about cooking. This strategy should give you a fairly wide selection of cookbooks for kids of all ages.

We encourage you to explore our extensive collection, but to get you started, we list below a few of our favorite cookbooks for young chefs:

Brennan, Georgeanne.
Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Dr. Seuss! 2006.
Recipes inspired by the stories and characters of Dr. Seuss.
[Education S-Collection Q. S.641.5 B75g]

Dahl, Roald.
Roald Dahl’s Even More Revolting Recipes. 2001.
The author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory presents fun and easy recipes, accompanied by creative illustrations and photographs.
[Education S-Collection S.652.5 D137r]

Gold, Roseanne.
Kids Cook 1-2-3: Recipes for Young Chefs Using Only 3 Ingredients. 2006.
Don’t let the title fool you; using 3 ingredients does not have to be bland or boring. Dishes like farfalle pasta with broccoli or roasted chicken are delicious and simple.
[Education S-Collection S.641.5123 G563k]

Gunderson, Mary.
American Indian Cooking Before 1500. 2001.
Part of the Exploring History through Simple Recipes series, this cookbook includes cooking help and recipes. Organized by regions of the United States.
[Education Storage Q. S.394.108997 G955a]

Hardesty, Constance.
Grow Your Own Pizza. 2000.
Provides plans and instructions for growing twenty-six different gardens, with recipes for using what is grown. Gardens and recipes are divided by difficulty level, from easy to advanced.
[Education S-Collection S.635.083 H218g]

Hughes, Meredith Sayles.
Flavor Foods: Spices and Herbs. 2000.
Describes the historical origins, uses, and growing requirements of various spices and herbs, such as pepper, vanilla, nutmeg, horseradish, licorice, and ginger. Includes recipes.
[Education Storage S.633.83 H874f]

Kalman, Bobbie.
Lunch Munch. 2003.
Explores why and how to have a delicious and healthy lunch through nutrition facts and easy recipes for nourishing foods.
[Education S-Collection S.641.5 K126l]

Keller, Thomas.
What’s cooking? A Cookbook for Kids. 2007.
Featuring Disney’s small and unlikely chef, the character Ratatouille, this cookbook shows children how to cook a variety of simple dishes and desserts.
[Education S-Collection S.641.5 W5584]

Lagasse, Emeril.
Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My World! Recipes that Take you Places. 2006.
The popular television chef takes young cooks on an international tour of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
[Education S-Collection S.641.59 L135e]

Parnell, Helga.
Cooking the South American Way. 2003.
An overview of South American cookery, including information about the continent’s holidays and festivals. Features simple recipes, menu planning, and information about low-fat cooking and vegetarian options
[Education Storage S.641.598 P242c2003]

Pearce, Q.L.
Experiments You Can Do In Your Kitchen. 2004.
Less of a cookbook and more of a chemistry manual for beginning scientists, this title features over 60 experiments using common household ingredients.
[Education S-Collection Q. S.507 Exp718]

Smithsonian Institution.
Food and the Kitchen. 1993.
Provides instructions for a variety of experiments and activities involving food, including the making of cheese, the growing of leaves from cut vegetables, and the testing of different foods for their fat content.
[Education S-Collection S.641.5 F739]

White, Linda.
Cooking on a Stick. 1996.
Describes the basic procedures and equipment needed in preparing and cooking simple foods in an outdoor setting. Gives instructions for preparing two dozen foods while outdoors. Includes safety guidelines and basic campfire instructions.
[Education S-Collection S.641.578 W584c]

Yu, Ling.
Cooking the Chinese Way. 2002.
Includes instructions on special ingredients, eating with chopsticks, and low-fat and vegetarian options.
[Education S-Collection S.641.5951 Y9c]