Lotta Nieminen

What's better than eating spaghetti? Cooking it and enjoying your own creation, and these pages invite listeners to to just that.

This is a board book for the younger readers out there and hits upon a well-loved topic—spaghetti. It begins with a display of the ingredients needed and utensils involved. These are portrayed close together with the identifying name right near by in the same color (basil's font is green, etc). Step-by-step, the reader follows the process of cooking spaghetti. The sauce is created with canned tomatoes and spices, so young readers do get a first impression of really making something from scratch.

The illustrations are simple, direct, a little blocky, and make the basic steps clear. The text is concise, easy to understand, and keeps everything clear without adding more than necessary. So, listeners do stay on track. I did find some visual moments a teensy-tiny bit jumbled (once or twice), but gathering everything together and cooking can be this way, at times.

The 'interactive' side of this book occurs in that it encourages adults to join their young listeners to create spaghetti together. It supports word recognition, encourages the skill of following directions, introduces basic cooking knowledge/skills, and leads to interactive activities and social skills. For a tiny book, it packs a punch.

I do have to add...and this made me chuckle for side reasons...there is not a warning concerning the need for an adult when cooking, cutting and such. Not that I believe it's necessary (the intended audience couldn't read that on their own, anyway). But since I do know some young readers, who are more than adventurous enough to try doing something on their own, I'll add that adults should watch out and keep an eye on those more determined readers.

After reading this, only one last phrase hits my mind: Bon Appetit!

I received a DRC, am giving this 4.5 stars and rounding up.… (meer)