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My Learn to Cook Book
Illustrated step-by-step directions for making such favorites as hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza pie, pigs in a blanket, and animal crackers.
- GenresNonfiction
Hardcover
First published March 1, 1973
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 2, 2018
Ah, the joys of cooking as or with a child: the smells, the textures, the mess, the mistakes, the fixes, and the eating.
Illustration: sausage rolls - and naughty dog
I am a technical writer. I explain complex software, concepts, and processes in straightforward ways. I often use numbered steps and illustrations.
My technical writing is utterly different from what I read and how I write about it on GR. And then I found a link between the two: my old copy of this children’s cookery book.
This book was published in 1967, and it shows. That’s the charm. The cartoonish pictures avoid the distraction of irrelevant details you sometimes get in photos (though when this was published, printing just a few colours would have been vastly cheaper than full-colour photos). The recipes are British staples (scrambled eggs, meringues, sausage rolls, and fairy cakes (before muffins and then cupcakes took over)). The most exotic it gets is a dash of French (croque monsieur) and American (pizza pie, hot dogs, and burgers). No curries, stir fries or anything of that ilk.
It was aimed at children between 7 and 12, though I remember it younger and older than that. It evokes deep memories of cooking with my mother. And of course, the text assumes Mother is on hand to help with potential dangers, such as sharp knives, and heavy pots of hot liquid.
“Leave the kitchen as clean and tidy as you found it. Then your mother will be happy to let you cook again.”
How to Write, How to Cook
This is a perfect example of good technical writing, starting with the first and most important rule, Know your audience. (Actually, that’s true of all writing. Context is all.)
Illustration: Pastry and fruit crumble
* Safety first. There are some simple rules at the very start. They are reiterated where necessary.
* The recipes are child-friendly in flavours and achievability.
* There’s no real jargon, but terms and tools are clearly explained.
* Recipes are grouped by type, with introductory skills at the start of a section, such as whisking, or making pastry.
* Numbered steps, with pictures, are fun, practical, and easy to follow.
* Illustrations add to the playfulness, but provide information too.
* You never need to turn a page to complete a recipe.
* The style of writing, font, and illustration is consistent, creating a strong brand, without distractions.
* Nutrition is subtly addressed. This book has a section of fruit recipes and has plenty of savoury to balance the inevitable cakes and sweets.
Illustration: Good advice
Still Going Strong
I recently discovered a technical writer friend not only has, but still uses, another illustrated Ursula Sedgwick cookery book, albeit a slightly more advanced one. Seafood linguine! Very tasty.
Confession
Poring through my book, I remembered almost every page, especially some of the scenes with the anthropomorphic pets, but I don’t think we actually made many of the things in it, and there are quite a few I’m certain we never did.
Memories are strange, elusive, deceptive... and delicious.
Illustration for Knickerbocker Glory: Of its time!
Closing Anecdote
The day after posting this review, a friend had this conversation:
Child: Look, Grandma, it's a story book about vegetables.
My friend: Yes, or as we normally call it, a cookery book.
I loved the idea of cookery books as story books - until it occurred to me that the vegetables probably don't end happily ever after!
Illustration: sausage rolls - and naughty dog
I am a technical writer. I explain complex software, concepts, and processes in straightforward ways. I often use numbered steps and illustrations.
My technical writing is utterly different from what I read and how I write about it on GR. And then I found a link between the two: my old copy of this children’s cookery book.
This book was published in 1967, and it shows. That’s the charm. The cartoonish pictures avoid the distraction of irrelevant details you sometimes get in photos (though when this was published, printing just a few colours would have been vastly cheaper than full-colour photos). The recipes are British staples (scrambled eggs, meringues, sausage rolls, and fairy cakes (before muffins and then cupcakes took over)). The most exotic it gets is a dash of French (croque monsieur) and American (pizza pie, hot dogs, and burgers). No curries, stir fries or anything of that ilk.
It was aimed at children between 7 and 12, though I remember it younger and older than that. It evokes deep memories of cooking with my mother. And of course, the text assumes Mother is on hand to help with potential dangers, such as sharp knives, and heavy pots of hot liquid.
“Leave the kitchen as clean and tidy as you found it. Then your mother will be happy to let you cook again.”
How to Write, How to Cook
This is a perfect example of good technical writing, starting with the first and most important rule, Know your audience. (Actually, that’s true of all writing. Context is all.)
Illustration: Pastry and fruit crumble
* Safety first. There are some simple rules at the very start. They are reiterated where necessary.
* The recipes are child-friendly in flavours and achievability.
* There’s no real jargon, but terms and tools are clearly explained.
* Recipes are grouped by type, with introductory skills at the start of a section, such as whisking, or making pastry.
* Numbered steps, with pictures, are fun, practical, and easy to follow.
* Illustrations add to the playfulness, but provide information too.
* You never need to turn a page to complete a recipe.
* The style of writing, font, and illustration is consistent, creating a strong brand, without distractions.
* Nutrition is subtly addressed. This book has a section of fruit recipes and has plenty of savoury to balance the inevitable cakes and sweets.
Illustration: Good advice
Still Going Strong
I recently discovered a technical writer friend not only has, but still uses, another illustrated Ursula Sedgwick cookery book, albeit a slightly more advanced one. Seafood linguine! Very tasty.
Confession
Poring through my book, I remembered almost every page, especially some of the scenes with the anthropomorphic pets, but I don’t think we actually made many of the things in it, and there are quite a few I’m certain we never did.
Memories are strange, elusive, deceptive... and delicious.
Illustration for Knickerbocker Glory: Of its time!
Closing Anecdote
The day after posting this review, a friend had this conversation:
Child: Look, Grandma, it's a story book about vegetables.
My friend: Yes, or as we normally call it, a cookery book.
I loved the idea of cookery books as story books - until it occurred to me that the vegetables probably don't end happily ever after!
February 10, 2008
These are step by step books for children in a cartoony format that is most appealing.
It also tells you the different pieces of equipment you need such bowls, wooden spoon or sieve and pictures of what those things are.
The steps are easy to follow without any 'cookery' jargon.
It also tells you the different pieces of equipment you need such bowls, wooden spoon or sieve and pictures of what those things are.
The steps are easy to follow without any 'cookery' jargon.
November 5, 2019
A brilliant introduction to cooking. Kindled my interest, and 40 years later I still love cooking.
August 1, 2021
I was given this childerns cookbook easy to follow and read instructions from my gran dad's mum as a child and still have it now I remember being so excited receiving this as a wonderful gift. I kept on going back to it when I wanted to make something. Throughout my life I kept going back to it being because it was so easy to follow and read. I like the cartoon characters the cat and dog in it in fact I like the whole design of book. It is still in very good condition today. It has been very well used from the 60's 1967. Shall treasure it always.
April 19, 2024
A lovely vintage cookery book for children
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews