Tyler Makes Spaghetti!

by Tyler Florence, Craig Frazier (Illustrator)

Overview

Food Network star Tyler Florence is back with another picture book showing where food comes from and how it’s made.
 
In Tyler Makes Spaghetti!, Tyler and his dog, Tofu—the heroes of Tyler Makes Pancakes!—want to prepare their favorite meal. The pair go to Chef Lorenzo Mascarpone for information on making spaghetti and meatballs. They imagine a trip around the world to gather all the fresh ingredients for pasta and tomato sauce. Then it’s back to the kitchen where Tyler discovers that cooking his favorite food is as much fun as eating it!
 
Playful full-color illustrations by Craig Frazier, a Did You Know? section with cool facts, and Chef Tyler Florence’s recipe for spaghetti and meatballs make this a delicious choice for little foodies and picky eaters.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062047564
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/23/2013
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tyler Florence is a chef and television star of several Food Network shows, including How to Boil Water, Food 911, Tyler's Ultimate, and The Great Food Truck Race. Before joining the Food Network, he served as executive chef at the award-winning restaurant Cafeteria in New York City. He now owns two restaurants—Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco and El Paseo in Mill Valley—and a retail kitchen shop: Tyler Florence West Coast Kitchen Essentials in Mill Valley. He lives in Mill Valley, California, with his wife, three kids, two puppies, four chickens, and a beehive.

Craig Frazier is the author and illustrator of several picture books, including the Stanley series, Hank Finds Inspiration, Lots of Dots, and Bee & Bird. He is also an internationally recognized designer whose work includes six postage stamps for the USPS, including the 2006 Love stamp and the 2010 and 2012 commemorative Scouting stamps. Craig is married, has two children, and lives and works in Mill Valley, California.

Editorial Reviews

Florence and Frazier are back (Tyler Makes Pancakes!, 2012), this time with dinner as young Tyler learns about spaghetti--how to cook it and where its ingredients come from--in this masterfully illustrated story. When Chef Lorenzo asks Tyler for help making spaghetti and meatballs, the burgeoning cook can't wait to begin. Together they take an imaginary adventure to pick tomatoes from the vine, unearth onions, visit olive groves and witness the pressing process. Even cheese-making, from cow to curds and curing, is seen. But the author conveniently evades any explanation of the origin of the meatballs, which are presented pre-made. Ingredients assembled, the industrious Tyler creates a delicious dinner for his family, with each step of the cooking process described. Sadly, the text is labored, despite the author's best intentions of connecting readers to food, land, and the people that create and care for both. However, Frazier's strong pictorial narrative carries the day. As always, he exhibits exemplary skill at creating deceivingly simple illustrations with his exceptional ability to edit. The characters, often appearing as stick figures, are incredibly expressive, and the silhouettes offer both depth and insights into the text. Florence's purpose is clear: "Good food can save the day!" A worthy message, drawn perfectly by Frazier, whose illustrations could work without the words. (recipe, additional information) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews