Search
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
Molding together Rice Krispies, peanut butter and powdered sugar, a group of little cooks were trying to avoid spreading the sticky, gooey concoction from their fingers onto the many books at the Northfield Branch Library.
The children were participating in the Books and Cooks program held at the library on June 16. The summer program allows children to read stories and participate in an activity, said librarian Debbie Kushnir, who runs the program, which is held every Monday afternoon through July 14. The Books and Cooks program is targeted at children ages 5-9.
Kushnir comes up with a different theme each week, and then finds the books and recipes to go along with it.
The theme for the most recent program was bears. Kushnir read “A Chair for Baby Bear” by Kaye Umansky and “Goldie and the Three Bears” by Diane Stanley before the kids got gooey creating peanut butter bears.
Catherine Hensel, 6, of Winnetka, attended the first two Books and Cooks programs of the summer. During story time, she joined with the other children, excitedly pointing out which chair in the illustrations she would love to have in real life. And after completing her peanut butter bear, gobbled it up.
“I liked the books and liked the food,” she said with her hands still spotted with powdered sugar.
Kushnir agreed with Catherine and said that mixing books and food is a big draw for the children.
“The kids really like it,” Kushnir said. “[The program] usually fills up the first day.”
In the first week, the Books and Cooks theme was elephants and cakes, so the children made elephant surprise cake to go along with their stories, Kushnir said.
“The first two recipes were sweets, but there will be healthier recipes,” she said. “There will be fruit kabobs and lettuce boats.”
Hearing there would be healthier snacks in future programs made Wilmette’s Ennie Oh happy, especially since the program is close to dinner time.
She was searching for a Monday afternoon program that would fit into her sons’, Julian, 8, and Joshua, 5, schedules. Then she found Books and Cooks.
“My sons love cooking and whenever I’m cooking, they come and say ‘Mommy can we help?’ and that can’t always happen,” she said. “So this is a great program. We came and they really liked it.”
Julian and Joshua aren’t the only future chefs coming to Books and Cooks. Shelby Brachmann, 4, of Winnetka said she also likes to cook food and liked that the program allowed her to do things with her hands. She came with her brother Pierce, 7, who said in the future he might want to be a chef, but he liked that they read books too.
Books and Cooks is held Mondays at the Northfield Branch Library. The program is limited to 12 participants, but children can be put on a waitlist. Children will receive a recipe card when they go home so they can recreate their Books and Cooks snack. Call the library at 847-446-5990 to learn more.
