I have to introduce one of my favorite illustrators, Mark A. Hicks. It is awesome that he wrote and illustrated lots and lots of books. I have read several of them. My favorite was Ellwood's Plans. Ellwood's life always goes well, but it takes a turn for the bad. He couldn't see what his future would be. But in the end, music wins out. He makes a new and important friend on the bus and there's a cool song that I can't stop singing! The funny thing was that so many things had music patterns on them (like his PJs). This is a very clever book.

We have a 6-year old daughter, and she just loves to cook. I am always on the lookout for excellent kids cookbooks - ones that teach, besides having quality recipes. Too often, kids cookbooks contain recipes for food that just isn't healthy - promoting blue frosting, or coloring your macaroni and cheese red. YIKES!