Summer reading resource?

A collection of fairy tales. Each tale is matched with a recipe or two. The tales are simply told, but are not for the youngest kids.

Stories with recipes, not a cookbook inspired by fairy tales. No index. Awfully cute, and with neat fun fact sidebars.

I had never realized there are so many folktales with a food component! I love the idea for this book. I did expect a bit more from the fairy tales themselves, being retold by Jane Yolen. They did seem very simple - especially in the beginning. Some of the recipes were a bit simple, too, but that's probably okay since they are meant for young children to be helping out. Some of them do sound very delicious. Overall, I liked the variety of stories chosen and how the recipes link to the stories.

The part I REALLY enjoyed were the bits of trivia included in the margins - of both the fairy tales and the recipes. Some bits of trivia I already knew, but some I didn't and found very interesting. Did you know that a pumpkin is a fruit and was once used as a cure for freckles and snakebite? Did you know that both the apple and the pear are members of the rose family?

The illustrations are a bit quirky, and I liked some more than others. But overall I thought they added a fun, whimsical feel to the book.

This is worth checking out if you have an occasion to pair cooking with a folktale. I would like to try the Seaweed Stuffed Shells, the Cucumber Yogurt Salad, the Magic Pear Grumble, and Snow White's Baked Apples. 3.5 stars.