Review copy provided by Media Masters Publicity.

20 Recipes Kids Should Know is a large format cookbook laden with pretty, full-color photos, colorful headings and clear, easy-to-follow steps.

12-year-old author/chef Esme Washburn has broken down the recipes into the categories of Breakfast, Lunch, Appetizers, Mains, Sides, Desserts, and More. (The “More” category has two for bread – popovers and a basic bread recipe.) Each category has 3-4 kid-friendly recipes; the Breakfast category, for example, contains recipes for pancakes (done two ways), banana bread and an omelet.

Each recipe has a full-page photograph of the completed dish, and I love that they were all taken by the author’s 17-year-old sister, Calista Washburn. She also includes some step-by-step shots, such as those for the homemade pasta, which are particularly helpful. We also found the introduction quite helpful, as it includes measure equivalents, safety tips, and a glossary of cooking terms – just what every new cook needs!

The photo accompanying Esme’s Ultimate Banana Bread was drool-inducing. As we conveniently had several well-overripe bananas meant for the freezer for smoothies, my daughter asked if we could give it a try. The recipe was easy to follow and the results were wonderful.

This is a great book for kids showing an interest in learning to cook, and I do agree that these recipes are great basics that would set any child up with some basic skills that would serve them well later. Admittedly, I initially scoffed at a recipe for grilled cheese, but when the photo sparked a craving for the same in my teen and he rather struggled with how to prepare it (where have I gone wrong), the need for such basic recipes didn’t sound so silly. ( )

I think this is the first kids' cookbook that teaches you how to cook steak! Come to think of it, I've never cooked steak... It's created by two sisters, ages 12 and 17 (the younger wrote it and tested the recipes and the older took the photographs). I'm always interested in the newer type of kids' cookbook that teaches real cooking skills, and this is a fun addition to that genre.

The introduction covers measurements, safety, and a glossary of commonly used cooking terms. Each recipe is introduced with a little story from the author. The recipes are pancakes, banana bread, omelets, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, black bean soup, hummus, salad and dressing, breaded chicken, steak, pizza (including the crust), pasta with tomato sauce or pesto (including making the pasta), mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, strawberry shortcake, apple pie, bread, and popovers.

As you can see there's a wide variety in the recipes, from simple (grilled cheese sandwiches) to more time-consuming and complex (pasta and bread by hand). Each recipe has a mouth-watering photo, clear list of prep time, ingredients, and directions. The book itself is an over-sized hardcover with colorful text and information about and photos of the authors in the back.

Verdict: I don't know that I'd agree that every kid needs to know how to cook these specific recipes, but they do include a nice variety, in ingredients, cost and tastes, and paired with a book that teaches more specific cooking skills, like my favorite How to cook in 10 easy lessons, this is a great resource to encourage kids to try some cooking on their own.

ISBN: 9783791385075; Published April 2019 by Prestel; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library