Stephanie Maze

Famous Dishes from Around the World/Platos famosos de todo el mundo
by Stephanie Maze

Alphabetically set out from America to Uzbekistan 30 national dishes with recipe, history of the dish and nutritional information presented. Healthier options are provided as well. The book provides the recipes in both English and Spanish with illustrations that made my mouth water. I learned a few new-to-me tips: soak bamboo skewers in water overnight to help keep them from burning on the grill AND to wash show more cast iron not with soap but with water, oil and salt instead. The recipes chosen were those that the editors believed most representative of those brought to America and most well known. To provide all of the recipes would require many volumes, I believe. I enjoyed learning a bit more about some of the recipes I have eaten in the past and really enjoyed learning that the origins of some recipes were not actually in the country that has claimed them their own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Moonstone Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars show less

An attractive picture book that presents a wealth of information, I Want to Be a Firefighter is a comprehensive look at the career and history of fighting fires. Every two-page spread features a new topic, from urban firefighters to wildland fire fighting. The topics are written in language appropriate to the reading level, told with a warm voice, and accompanied by multiple photographs to further illuminate the subject. Young readers are encouraged to understand and appreciate this show more dangerous profession, the dedication and discipline involved, and its wide application.

The book has many positive qualities, as described above. The author avoids information overload, and the publisher packages the text and photographs with bright colors, appealing fonts, and creative juxtapositions. A look at the acknowledgments reveals that a great deal of research was involved, and a reference section at the end of the book points children to further study. A table of contents would benefit the book, and the history section was too unwieldy. Nonetheless, this is a great book to use to teach children about firefighting, or as part of a series of books introducing kids to different career possibilities. show less

As a part of a children's series that features future possible professions, this book explores the many opportunities in a career as an engineer. It begins with an overview of the broad range of jobs that fall under the engineer category, before discoursing on the education necessary to pursue engineer work, and the history of this respected job. The book then focuses on a few concrete examples of different jobs and accomplishments that engineers achieve, from robotics and car development, show more to movie special effects and international projects. The book includes a two-page spread that defines vocabulary specific to the profession, a page that introduces interesting facts related to engineering, a small biography section profiling famous engineers, and a couple of pages that are simply filled with photographs showing amazing advancements made through engineering.

The author does a commendable job of teaching about a huge topic in a small amount of space. The information is clear and the photographs help to explain the profession and make it look appealing. Each small section is labeled with an informative title, uses simple text, and is enhanced with many photographs. As far as a book about engineering goes, this is well done. For children who have an interest in puzzles, building things, and solving problems, the possibilities in this career could fascinate them. This book would be a gem for them. Also, it is a nice way to introduce children to future options. However, the information is dry, even with all of the photographs and thoughtful organization, and reads like an extended encyclopedia entry. Although I wish the series had a more creative and engaging presentation, it is a nice resource book. show less

Do you know what a berenjena is? Would you be willing to eat a zarzamora? Youngsters can traipse through the alphabet, learning about different fruits, vegetables, grains, and other healthy foods, while reinforcing their ABCs, in both English and Spanish. The Spanish name for the book is Comida sana de la A a la Z. Colorful illustrations of charming faces constructed by famous food-photographer Renee Comet out of the various foodstuffs will encourage children to return to the book over and show more over. By the way, zarzamora is Spanish for blackberry, and berenjena is Spanish for eggplant. Have you ever tried eggplant? What about a quince (membrillo)?

In addition to the text of the book where the foods are pictured alphabetically and identified by both English and Spanish names, readers are given instructions on how to make their own healthy food face and provided with other healthy food projects to do which involve art, language, science, and math skills. There are also seven pages of “Did You Know…?” facts that will highlight the nutritional value of seventy of the foods pictured throughout the book for parents to share with their children. Healthy Foods from A to Z will be beneficial for all youngsters but can be especially helpful for bilingual families and those wishing to expose students to the Spanish language (or even vice versa). Did you know that strawberries are a member of the rose family? I really like strawberries. I also like this book. show less