Ann Arnold (2)
Autore di The Adventurous Chef: Alexis Soyer
Per altri autori con il nome Ann Arnold, vedi la pagina di disambiguazione.
Opere di Ann Arnold
Etichette
Informazioni generali
- Sesso
- female
- Luogo di residenza
- Berkeley, California, USA
- Attività lavorative
- author
illustrator
Utenti
Recensioni
The Adventurous Chef: Alexis Soyer is a children-friendly biography about a multi-talented (and busy) chef who also helped incorporate his culinary skills into social problems. Soyer worked for many of England's elite as a personal chef but also helped feed the poor and the less-fortunate soldiers fighting in the Crimean war. What I really liked, and also learned, was that he and Florence Nightingale were pseudo-confidantes.A very good book to give to any child with an interest in cooking.
This middle-grade nonfiction is a fascinating history of the life and work of Georg Wilhelm Steller, a German naturalist who traveled with the Russian Kamchatka expeditions and was the first naturalist to explore Alaska. The descriptions of native plants and people was excellently balanced with Arnold's explanations and Steller's own quotations and the story of Steller's journey to and shipwreck in Alaska was gripping. There are numerous sketches by the author throughout the book, showing the various animals, plants, and geographies.
The drawbacks - I would have liked to see some of Steller's own drawings and I found the maps very confusing (then again, I find maps of my own town confusing). Also, although I find the stories of explorers and scientists from the 1700s fascinating, especially when they are as well-written as this one, I have difficulty thinking of kids who might share my enthusiasm.
Verdict: An extremely interesting book; if you have an audience for it, buy it!
ISBN: 0374399476; Published October 2008 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Borrowed from the library… (altro)
The drawbacks - I would have liked to see some of Steller's own drawings and I found the maps very confusing (then again, I find maps of my own town confusing). Also, although I find the stories of explorers and scientists from the 1700s fascinating, especially when they are as well-written as this one, I have difficulty thinking of kids who might share my enthusiasm.
Verdict: An extremely interesting book; if you have an audience for it, buy it!
ISBN: 0374399476; Published October 2008 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Borrowed from the library… (altro)
A picture book for older readers about an interesting but not well known chef, Alexis Soyer, who not only was a culinary phenomenon, but a social activist as well.
Mr. Soyer helped feed the poor as well as the rich, serving food during the Irish potato famine and cooking for British soldiers fighting in the Crimea. He was a contemporary of Florence Nightingale.
Makes one want to do further research on this interesting, flamboyant man. He wrote:
1. A shilling Cookery for the People, for the poor,
2. The Gastronomic Regenerator, a recipe book for the wealthy,
3. The Modern Housewife, for the middle class, and
4. A Culinary campaign, about his adventures in the Crimea.
Pair with other books about chefs and cooking:
Fannie in the Kitchen by Deborah Hopkinson… (altro)
Mr. Soyer helped feed the poor as well as the rich, serving food during the Irish potato famine and cooking for British soldiers fighting in the Crimea. He was a contemporary of Florence Nightingale.
Makes one want to do further research on this interesting, flamboyant man. He wrote:
1. A shilling Cookery for the People, for the poor,
2. The Gastronomic Regenerator, a recipe book for the wealthy,
3. The Modern Housewife, for the middle class, and
4. A Culinary campaign, about his adventures in the Crimea.
Pair with other books about chefs and cooking:
Fannie in the Kitchen by Deborah Hopkinson… (altro)
Premi e riconoscimenti
Statistiche
- Opere
- 2
- Utenti
- 75
- Popolarità
- #235,804
- Voto
- 3.6
- Recensioni
- 4
- ISBN
- 9
The descriptions and explanations help to convey a sense of the vast distances and immense logistical challenges the expedition entailed. Quotes from Steller's journals and other firsthand accounts help to bring the story to life. The text is decorated with pen-and-ink drawings of the people, places, animals, and plants being discussed.
Though geared toward older grade-school readers, the book does not "talk down" to the reader or engage in excessive hyperbole to make the story more exciting. While I personally appreciated the straightforward tone, younger readers may find it a little dry.
All in all, this book is a pretty enjoyable read about an interesting yet little-known moment in history.… (altro)