World kitchen

Gr 2--5--This is a beautiful and wide-ranging collection of cherished recipes contributed by real families from around the globe. Each recipe is introduced by a child from a different region, explaining their fondness for the dish and expanding on its cultural origins. A helpful "recipe map" shows the children in the locations from which they hail. Prabhat's illustrations are a huge selling point. They are truly lovely, filling each page with life, color, and a sense of place. The families are depicted in their homes, so readers get a glimpse at local dwellings and clothing. All the recipes are vegetarian and there is a chapter with instructions for how to make each one vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, egg-free, or dairy-free. Given that this is a global cookbook there are a few instances of harder-to-find ingredients, but the components called for are generally ones that could be located at most grocery stores. From Ghanaian black-eyed peas to German jam cookies, there are about 20 recipes here that celebrate food from around the world. VERDICT A visually delightful take on global food, recommended for school and public libraries.--Kate Newcombe