The Little Pigs' First Cookbook

Charles, Bertram and Ralph are the little pigs, who are, respectively, an outdoorsman, a bookworm and a writerall just learning how to cook. Charles's breakfast menu features Yum-lish Yogurt and Boozled Eggs; Bertram's lunch menu includes Guinea Pig Salad and Blushing Pigs; Ralph's dinner menu offers up Seashell Melt and Piglet's Popovers. The recipes are clearly written, the food is appealing and healthful, and dessert is not overlooked. But the real treats are Watson's pictures, scenes of harmonious bustling with bright, bold shapes and sweet diagrams that help in the assembly of ingredients. The design is outstanding: small poetic asides, suggestions for alternate ingredients and definitions of some of the hard wordssuch as sauteare placed around the central instructions. Parents may have to help at some junctures, but they won't mindalthough the main course is cooking, it's served up with a spicy dose of fun. Ages 6-8. (November)