These gorgeous desserts may be fairy tales for most bakers.
The owner of the Enchanting Cake Company guides readers in creating their own fairy-tale desserts.
Following two chapters laying out the basic techniques and recipes most of the projects will use, Khan provides brief retellings of 15 fairy tales, each with directions for four creations, including the castle and pumpkin coach from “Cinderella,” candy apples for “Snow White,” magic-carpet cookies for “Aladdin,” lily-pad tarts for “Thumbelina,” a braided pretzel for “Rapunzel,” and meringue clouds for “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Although Khan writes, “The main projects may look complex but…they are really easy to follow and even the most novice baker will be able to wow their guests with their creations,” this is not a book for novices, for those pressed for time (many take multiple days), or for those on a budget. There is a lot of specialty equipment needed to match the photos of Khan’s gorgeous creations (crank-handled palette knife, woodgrain texture mat, cake-lace silicone mat, petal dust, rejuvenator spirit, sugar gun, edible gold paint, to name just a sampling). While her step-by-step directions are easy to follow and full of useful advice that will ease construction, not all the terms are defined, and readers may wish for more photos of the steps. Also, the measurements, while inclusive, may be confusing for younger chefs: “1 3/4 cups / 8 oz (225 g) all-purpose flour.”
These gorgeous desserts may be fairy tales for most bakers. (Cookbook. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56656-078-8
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Crocodile/Interlink
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015
Pitamic bites off more than she can chew with this instructional art volume, but its core projects will excite in the right context. Twelve pieces of fine art inspire two art projects apiece. Matisse’s The Snail opens the Color section; after history and analysis, there’s one project arranging multicolored tissue-paper squares and one project adding hue to white paint to create stripes of value gradation. These creative endeavors exploring value, shade, texture and various media will exhilarate young artists—but only with at best semi-successful results, as they require an adult dedicated to both advance material procurement and doing the artwork along with the child. Otherwise, complex instructions plus a frequent requirement to draw or trace realistically will cause frustration. Much of the text is above children’s heads, errors of terminology and reproduction detract and the links between the famous pieces and the projects are imprecise. However, an involved adult and an enterprising child aged seven to ten will find many of the projects fabulously challenging and rewarding. Art In Action 2 (ISBN: 978-0-7641-441-7) publishes simultaneously. (artist biographies, glossary, location of originals) (Nonfiction. Adults)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7641-4440-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Barron's
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Good advice on the craft of writing from someone who should know.
The third National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature offers a how-to guide for young writing enthusiasts.
Who’s more qualified to write about the craft of writing than Myers, one of the biggest names in children’s literature and author of 100 works for young readers? Though this volume is far from flashy, the straightforward, no-nonsense, you-can-do-it tone may well inspire young readers and beginning writers. Myers tells about his own life and how he became a writer before moving on to the craft itself, offering advice on structuring fiction using a six-box outline and nonfiction with a four-box outline. Excerpts from his own notebooks and commentaries on his work with teen writer Ross Workman (Myers' collaborator on the soccer novel Kick, 2011; Workman contributes to the backmatter) are enlightening, and readers will find themselves in the presence of a friendly mentor and writing co-conspirator. Ultimately, since writers draw on their own lives and interests, this is a writer’s guide to life. Myers advises, “The best way to find inspiration is just to live your life doing these things that interest you most…. Pursuing your passions will expand your world. This will make you a better writer.”
Good advice on the craft of writing from someone who should know. (writing tips, further reading on writing, about the author, a list of the author’s books) (Nonfiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-220389-2
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Collins
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
