What's cooking at 10 garden street?

Sala opens with a portrait of a stately building with wrought-iron balconies and plumes of kitchen odor wafting from the windows. "Something smells good at n. 10, Garden Street. Delicious, actually!" Hand-lettered text introduces the building's inhabitants, each one at work cooking, while opposing pages hold the recipes they're making alongside vignettes of the ingredients. In one kitchen, Pilar makes salmorejo; in another, Mister Ping stir-fries small pieces of broccoli ("His nephew Benjamin calls them little trees"). Sixteen recipes, some vegetarian, are included in all. Sala's portraits glow with domestic affection (decor adheres closely to the characters' backgrounds), and kitchen utensils, plants, and wall art create a quilt of comfort and reassurance. At the end, Sala reveals what all the cooking is for: a communal dinner in the back garden. Though the recipes aren't really suited to young chefs, Sala's illustrations are filled with wonderful objects to notice and a message that nothing draws people into fellowship like breaking bread together. Ages 6--9. (Sept.)

A compendium for curious budding cooks of every stripe.Multicultural residents living in an apartment block on Garden Street are cooking up a global smorgasbord. Mr. Ping (who appears Asian) stir-fries some broccoli, or "little trees" as his nephew Benjamin calls them. "Across the hall, Maria mashes avocados with a fork." Maria and her mother (they have olive skin, black hair, dark eyes and appear to be Latinx) are making guacamole. Mr. Melville (who appears to be white) raises his knife to fillet a fish for sole meunire. Elsewhere in the building, Josef (a white boy with light brown hair) and Rafik (who presents black) together prepare meatballs with turkey, zucchini, and feta. Other neighbors are making coconut dal, miniquiches, and baba ganouj. For each spread, author/illustrator Sala renders delightful full-bleed pictures that showcase residents in action on the left and a visual recipe on the right. Each of these has detailed drawings of ingredients followed by easy-to-follow written instruction. With no more than six main ingredients each, the simple recipes feature global culinary traditions and fresh flavors. From kid favorites such as spaghetti al pomodoro and peanut-butter-and-chocolate-chip cookies to dishes with ingredients not as common in many North American kitchens (think tahini and fresh ginger), there are recipes for every palate. Finally, "everything is ready. It's time to go downstairs." In the final spread, the diverse communityof families, single parents, elderly folks, millennials, etc.all gather in the garden for delicious food and fun company.Part cookbook, part picture book, 100% delicious. (Cook/picture book. 5-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.