Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls Hardcover – by Betty Crocker (Author), Gloria Kamen (Illustrator) (IBRCookBooks) (IBRChildrensBooks)

I couldn't believe it when I saw that this cookbook was available as a "new" book (authentic reproduction) again. I received it - probably as a birthday gift? I don't remember - when I was a young child, about 50 years ago. I have always been a cookbook reader, and I spent many happy hours as a child reading this book. So when I saw that it was available again, I eagerly bought a copy for the sake of nostalgia.

As an object of nostalgia, I would rate it 5 stars. It looks exactly like the original, and has the same durable and convenient hardcover spiral binding that I remember. Although if you look carefully, you can tell that the cover is from a "photo of a photo," as the image isn't quite as crisp as an original would be. Also, the green glossy material used on the inside of the front & back covers was not in the original. However, everything else about the book is a perfect reproduction.

As a 21st-century cookbook for children to use, I'd probably give it only 3 stars. There is a lot about cooking that has changed in the 60 years since this book was first published:
* Our understanding of nutrition has improved significantly
* We encounter a greater variety of ingredients, especially fresh produce, in our stores
* Our food landscape has been enriched by many contributions from nearly every continent and every corner of the earth (I had definitely never heard of hummus or chiles rellenos when I used to read this book on lazy summer afternoons), and
* Rather than seeing canned/highly processed foods as exciting miracles of modern culinary technology, we now see them as the less healthy and less tasty versions of food.

This cookbook is definitely rooted in the food styles, tastes and knowledge of its mid-20th-century era.

That being said, this was a very, VERY good children's cookbook for its era. The recipes are creative, attractive, and often whimsical. There is a LOT of information for a budding cook who doesn't want to just learn a particular recipe, but actually wants to learn how to cook - such as cooking methods and terminology, types of utensils, safety guidelines. It piques the interest through extras like the illustrations (including many gorgeous full-page color glossy photos of finished recipes) and the sidebar tips from the 12 kids who were the "Junior Testers" of all the recipes in the book.

So, bottom line:
1. If you are an adult who was in love with this book as a kid, buy it.
2. If you are thinking of buying it for a child in your life today, I would say go ahead and buy it for its instructional value in the basics of cooking, but give the child a more contemporary children's cookbook at the same time.