Booklist Review

Gr. 3-6. Choux pastry spiders, meringue ghosts, and cupcakes with funny faces are among the tempting treats beginning chefs can create with this showy cookbook, which is extra large to accommodate its magnificently colored, life-size photos of ingredients and finished products. The motive for photographing all ingredients is questionable, however, since readers really can't tell that they are looking at one-half cup of heavy cream. And do they really need to see 12 drops of food coloring in a teaspoon? Perhaps such illustrative detail could have been replaced by more careful citing of ingredients--the labels for ground cinnamon and ground mixed spices are transposed in the fruit-bread recipe. However, the recipes are simple to execute and very tempting. Drew calls upon young bakers' energy and patience with her hands-on approach. Though wooden spoons, mixing bowls, and wire whisks are the blending and whipping tools of choice, guide notes allow hand mixers with an adult's supervision. In fact, adult aid is called for throughout when using the oven or a knife. Moreover, guidance will be needed to keep procedures on track and to demonstrate how to knead dough, which is not explained. Drew does an excellent job of offering variations on basic recipes--scones, for example, can be made into sweet treats or cheesy snacks--and she also excels at decorative techniques, turning a simple fruit bread into a festive Christmas wreath, and a chocolate cake into an impressive green dinosaur. There's kitchen fun ahead. (Reviewed Dec. 1, 1991)0679815457Ellen Mandel