If you're over the age of 40 and from a fairly small-town background, you probably remember when Current (a company now known for making checks and wrapping paper) did all sorts of home goods. Your mom probably had one of their Miriam Loo spiral-bound cookbooks, and she probably got one of these ultra-short (24 pp, for this one) 8.5x11" spiral-bound kid cookbooks to try to get you interested in cooking. And you probably tried it because the pictures were just so awesome that they inspire such bursts of creativity.This book is organized around American-centric holidays. Starting with Valentine's Day and moving on through Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Independence Day (4th of July), Halloween, Thanksgiving (not a full dinner, just cheese balls and salad), it ends with some Christmas treat ideas. Each section is just a page or two of representative foods that are something a 10-year-old can make. Because this cookbook was written in 1980, parents should be advised that it doesn't indulge in any of that "get an adult to micro-manage every tiny thing you do and make sure everything you touch is shrink-wrapped and padded" stuff that modern kid cookbooks seem to fall prey to. The recipes aren't insulting anybody's intelligence, either; they're not easily recognizable as "kid cooking" at all. They also don't take the easy out with "food arranging" fake-recipes.Each holiday begins a quick historical/cultural lesson and sometimes a poem. Then it lists a serving-time suggestion and the number of servings each recipe in the chapter will make (such as: "Your Mother's Day Brunch for 4 at 10:00 AM"). Each recipe begins with an ingredient list and what equipment is needed to make it, plus what time you should start preparing the recipe to hit the serving time (these suggested start times are quite generous). Some recipes include variations on the recipe. Some convenience foods, like cake mixes, are used, and nothing in the book would be hard to find in a normal supermarket. None of the equipment is too expensive or exotic, either; I don't think any recipe even needs a food processor or blender. The menus don't require too much work all at once, either; most can be finished in an hour or two total. The end of the book has a recipe index and a glossary/dictionary detailing the equipment and techniques in the recipes.Overall, this book, like the others in its series, is a great beginner's book. It's beautifully illustrated in color, made on thick paper and spiral-bound so it can be used without fear of tearing, and its recipes and menus are simple and easy to follow, all but foolproof. I recommend it for any family, or really for any adult who wants to learn to cook.