Christmas Cooking and Craft for Kids by Cherise Pagano

Five Mile Press, 2015. ISBN 9781760060510
(Age 8+) Highly recommended. A beautifully presented book, Christmas Cooking and Craft for kids contains some very appealing recipes for Christmas, some easy to make and some more difficult requiring adult help for children. It is illustrated with fabulous photographs that are eye catching and greatly add to the magic of the book. It is sturdy with an easy-to-use ring-binder. A contents page is available at the beginning of the book and is easy to skim for independent readers, but it is the photos that will lure the reader into reading the recipes and then trying them out.
As an adult I was most taken with the Savoury Santa Bags (filled with pork and beef mince and herbs), Pistachio and cranberry cookies and the Christmas Cake muffins, but children will be fascinated by the Stained glass biscuits that can be hung as Christmas decorations, toffee apples and Puffed snowmen and Crispie Christmas trees. The recipes are organised into sections with the ingredients that are needed, and then what is to be used for the decoration. The full page photographs give a clear visual representation of the final product, and make the decorating easy to follow.
At the back of the book is a section on Christmas crafts, including Reindeer hands, reindeer masks, with a template to match, Wall of surprises Advent calendar, Frosty the drink cup snowman and Nesting Santas, complete with a template. Each of these has a list of things that are needed to make the craft and step by step instructions.
This would make a great Christmas present - perhaps one to give before the festive season. It is certainly one that I will keep and use.
Pat Pledger