The Birthday Cookbook

Book Review: Who doesn’t love a birthday? With a birthday, of course, comes lots of food. The book beings with a one-pages “chapter” about birthdays and ends with another one-page chapter that links (somewhat incongruously) planning birthday parties to even planning as a career. Sandwiched in between are several very simple recipes that will doubtless fire the imagination of young children and already excited to start celebrating. Most recipes double as party activities, although some can be made in advance. Children as young as preschoolers can make many of the recipes largely on their own. That is because, though a cookbook, it features foods that tend to favor assembly over cooking—for example, trail mix, fruit “critter” kebobs, and cookie-cutter sandwiches. Children will enjoy this volume from the Holiday Recipe Box series (6 titles).