Felicita Sala

I would have loved this book when I was a child.

The illustrations are outstanding and fun to view. I loved everything about them: the people, the foodstuffs, the garden, the building, the interiors, the colors, the parts & the whole.

I wish this was an all vegan cookbook. I rarely read cookbooks anymore unless they’re 100% vegan. Many of the recipes in here are vegan or nearly so and all could be made vegan, but if all were presented as vegan I could wholeheartedly recommend this book to show more children and would deem it gift worthy. (Obviously non-veg*ns/most families wouldn’t have this quibble.)

I love that the 15 included recipes (and the people in the building, or their ancestors) are from different parts of the world, so in addition to the recipes and slight story, this book has a bit of a cultural lesson too.

I appreciate that all the recipes could be easily made by older kids, and even so for young kids with help from their adults.

My favorite part of the “story” was the last double page, which I was not expecting. Throughout the book there is a simple show and tell of different people in different apartments cooking dishes from their diverse backgrounds. The second to last double page spread shows them all on the move. The last double page shows them outside in the garden at one big table at a potluck type gathering sharing all their dishes with all the inhabitants of 10 Garden Street. I really loved that!

There are 4 vegan recipes, 6 vegetarian recipes, and 5 flesh containing recipes. All could be made vegan though. The recipes are for salmorejo (vegetarian), little trees sesame soy broccoli (vegan), guacamole (vegan), black bean soup, sole meunière, spaghetti al pomodoro (vegetarian), coconut dahl (vegan), mini quiches, meatballs, oyakodon chicken & egg rice, baba ganoush (vegan), green rice (vegetarian), peanut butter & chocolate chip cookies (vegetarian), banana & blueberry bread (vegetarian), strawberry crumble (vegetarian). show less

A little pig called Pablo leaves a trail of things wherever he goes: his backpack, swim trunks, even his shoes. Mom and Dad always help him look for his things, but one day they decide: no more. Pablo must be responsible for his own things. It doesn't go well at first, but Pablo becomes more motivated when his teacher announces they will have show-and-tell at school. Pablo cleans his room, but he's still missing things. Then, help comes from an unlikely source: a talking painted beach rock, show more which shows Pablo where all his things went (they're partying in an abandoned house). In the end, Pablo returns home - to his parents' relief - and even helps his mom find her missing teacup.

Busy but soft illustrations serve as a kind of "I Spy" activity throughout, with lots to look at.

See also: Benjy's Messy Room show less

Note that it's also called Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street.

I did not realize that it's more cookbook than story... but I actually love the concept and (mostly) the execution. I like the details, too, for example the man who cooks fish is named Melville....

Unfortunately, it's not like a real recipe book, as there are few pictures of the finished dishes (how soupy is dahl?), no index, not even a table of contents.

The theme of an apartment building, with diverse residents, having a community show more potluck is wonderful, though. show less

In every apartment at 10 Garden Street, someone is making something delicious:

Salmorejo
"Little Trees" (sesame soyy broccoli)
Guacamole
Black Bean Soup
Sole Meuniere
Spaghetti al Pomodoro
Coconut Dal
Mini Quiches
Meatballs with turkey, zucchini, and feta
Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice)
Baba Ganoush
Green Rice
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Banana and Blueberry Bread
Strawberry Crumble

Everyone comes together for a lovely potluck in the garden.

There's a beautiful diversity in the representation show more of people and foods, and the recipes themselves are clear and concise, with an illustration of each ingredient. show less