Cooking with Bear: A Story and Recipes from the Forest

It’s been a long winter, and even though it’s still a bit chilly out, Bear is ready to get up and find some food! He starts off with a big pot of soup, but then his friend Fox comes to visit. When Bear discovers that Fox wants to learn some new recipes, the two venture out into the springtime to gather ingredients and inspiration. From the forest and their other friends, Bear and Fox find nuts, berries, greens, and more. Each ingredient finds its way into one of Bear’s fun recipes, and Fox is hungry for more!

Cooking With Bear is part picture storybook, part kid-friendly cookbook. The sweet animal-centric story will engage the youngest readers, making them interested in where their food comes from and eager to try new dishes. The pictures are sweet, if a bit unconventional, with bright colors and plenty of greenery and fruits and veggies on every page. The recipes themselves, meanwhile, are designed to both appeal to a younger crowd while also pushing them (gently) to try new things. All recipes are completely vegetarian (the soup calls for chicken OR vegetable broth), and ingredients can be sourced from the wild (for readers who have the know-how or are interested in taking a class), the local farmers’ market, or even a standard grocery store. Cute book for youngsters!