Early Book Review: Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie Book by Heather Mubarak

Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie Book by Heather Mubarak is a cookbook that is currently scheduled for release on April 4 2023. This book features 65 mix-and-match cookie sandwiches for every occasion and craving, including both sweet and savory bakes that range from childhood classics with a twist (Nutter Butters! Chipwiches!) to sophisticated, party-ready treats (Strawberry Shortcake Macarons, Parmesan Polenta Crackers with Chive Cream Cheese). There is a chapter dedicated to swirly buttercreams, smooth ganache, fruity jams, and more lets you experiment with different cookie-filling pairings to your heart's content. The option to leave out the filling altogether for a super simple bake is also at the baker's discretion. Home bakers of all levels will appreciate the flexible, choose-your-own-adventure format.

Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie Book is a well written and organized cookbook with wonderful photographs of the featured cookies. I thought the introductory information about the ingredients and equipment was well done. Too often we more experienced bakers skip over this (sometimes myself included) but I thought the insights and information included here would be gook for bakers of all skill levels. I love that the author includes information about adjusting these recipes to be gluten free, and how to achieve the best possible bake. I also like that metric and imperial measurements are included- so regardless of a baker's personal preference there is no need to mess around with conversions. I liked the wide variety of cookies, and I liked the author's voice. I found the little introductions to be interesting and entertaining. This is exactly the book I needed right before Christmas baking started- to look over grand ideas only to end up making my tried and true recipes. There are several recipes here that I will attempt, and several more that I will use flavor combinations or technique from to help improve my baking results. In fact, this just might be a baking weekend so I can test some of these out.  I just do not have the freezer space for all of the ones I want to make.

Book Review: The Late, Great Endlings: Stories of the Last Survivors by Deborah Kerbel, Aimée van Drimmelen

The Late, Great Endlings: Stories of the Last Survivors by Deborah Kerbel and Aimée van Drimmelen pays homage to some of the more well-known endlings of the past century with rhyming stanzas that accompany watercolor illustrations and factual descriptions of each animal, along with the circumstances that led to their species' extinction. Together, these portraits of animals, like the passenger pigeon, the Pinta Island tortoise and the Tasmanian tiger, are a poignant symbol of a world irreversibly altered by human development, habitat loss and climate change. Readers are invited to reflect on the interconnectedness of all life forms on our planet with an additional look at animals that are at risk of becoming extinct in our lifetime. Concluding on a hopeful note, the final page offers suggestions for what kids can do to change the course of this mass species extinction crisis.

The Late, Great Endlings is a sad but interesting read about the last days of several endlings (the last member of a species). I liked learning the information shared, and I think the artwork does a good job of capturing the lives of the featured creatures. I also like that the book ended on a reasonably hopeful note. While reminding readers that we could very well see more species go extinct in our lifetimes, there are ways to mitigate our individual impacts and help make positive changes in the world around us to help slow or stop that decline. To be perfectly honest, the only part of this book I could have done without was the poetry. It seemed a little trite and unnecessary for the most part, and did little to add to the feel and purpose of the read. 

Early Book Review: Underwater Wild: My Octopus Teacher's Extraordinary World by Craig Foster; Ross Frylinck

Underwater Wild: My Octopus Teacher's Extraordinary World by Craig Foster and Ross Frylinck is currently scheduled for release on October 19 2021. Craig Foster and Ross Frylinck regularly dive together in the awe-inspiring kelp forests off South Africa, without wetsuits or oxygen tanks. In Ross, he found a kindred spirit, someone who also embraced the ancient methods of acclimating his body to frigid waters, but whose eyes had not yet adjusted to the transcendent wonder Craig saw each time they dove. In the stories that make up this book, readers swim alongside Ross as he grows from skeptic to student of the underwater wild. And in the revelatory marine science behind the stunning photos, we learn how to track sea hares, cuttlefish, and limpets, and we witness strange new behaviors never before documented in marine biology. We realize that a whole world of wonder, and an innate wildness within us all, emerge anew when we simply observe. 

I have to admit that I picked Underwater Wild to read because of the photography. Seriously, the images are stunning and well worth a look at the book all on their own. They are simply stunning. The text is well written and talks about much more than the marine life feature. The narrative style brings readers along for the ride, showing rather than telling about what has been seen and learned. It is about marine life, exploration, family, relationships, and more. When paired with the photographs, the text gives an extra layer of wonder and heart to the book as a whole. I think this book will appeal to a wide range of readers, and some will definitely be taking more time to enjoy the pictures than the text, no mater how moving or interesting the information shared.