Forum

My youngest grandson is turning 5 soon and I'd like to get him a "cookbook" ... bearing in mind that he does not yet read. He already makes pasta from scratch and has a few tools of his own -- including his own magnetic dry/wet measuring spoons which he has difficulty prying out of his parent's hands. [Yes, this is a strong recommendation for GuangFu magnetic measuring spoons with wet/dry on opposite ends]. But I digress. I'm looking for a cookbook that is real food not just kids' adding cutesy stuff, and something where exact measurements aren't necessary, and with pictures so that one can look at a picture to choose a recipe.

The only thing I've found to consider thus far is Gazoz: The Art of Making Magical, Seasonal Sparkling Drinks | Eat Your Books where the pictures may serve as a "recipe" but it is really a last resort. Any ideas?

Maybe this one: Kid's Only Cookbook .. 2019 publication, cartoon based instructions. Not yet indexed ;-)

America's Test Kitchen Kids has both a cooking and baking cookbook and they are both the best there is.

The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs

The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs

Also not a cookbook but my kids have subscribed to Raddish Kids since my daughter was about 4 and it is also a fantastic resource. 

Thanks for the suggestions -- 3 weeks to follow up with them before his birthday.

Deanna F. Cook's books, Cooking Class, and Baking Class. I read about them in the New York Times and ordered both for a niece and nephew, both 6. They were a great hit in both households, and are in use. They send me cute photos of the kids cooking from them.

I know I am too late responding to your question, but these books are winners for next time.

Pretend Soup and Salad People by Mollie Katzen are terrific kids' cookbooks. Pretend Soup is for preschoolers and Salad People is preschool and up. The child is chef with an adult assistant.

Thanks for the suggestions.

My suggestion would be to buy him an adult cookbook and let him make things from it with an adult's help. When I was in school we got cooking instruction in 7th grade from our home ec cooking teacher. We cooked and we baked using all the ingredients and cooking tools used in the real world. I liked it like that because we were not limited in our ingredients or anything, which was great. Of course the teacher decided on the recipes.  I'm just sad each group only got one copy of the recipe, meaning we didn't get to save them or copy them down in a notebook for ourselves.