Books
Playing Together
The Challenge
Parents were having kids later, and spaced farther apart; blended families, step families, and extended families often meant kids with a wide range of ages lived and played under the same roof. How could a busy parent spend quality time with each child?
The Solution
Playing Together, 101 Terrific Games and Activities That Children Ages 3-9 Can Do Together (Simon & Schuster, 1995) honed in on the new family demographics. This resource for parents with multiple kids and a limited amount of time, helped them plan do-able crafts, cooking, and games by breaking each activity into three age-appropriate levels. The book was later published in China.
No Whine With Dinner
The Challenge
The Meal Makeover Moms, two tech-savvy chefs and dieticians, tapped into their social network of moms to discover that the biggest obstacle for getting kids to eat well-balanced meals was picky eaters. The goal of their cookbook was to help parents break out of the chicken-fingers and macaroni rut by providing healthy, tasty, easy-to-make recipes that parents and kids would love.
The Solution
No Whine With Dinner (2011, M3 Press), taps into the parent-approved, kid-tested format that appeals to the Meal Makeover Moms’ community. Using in their own personable voices, they were able to add life as well as spice to their recipes. They embraced their large online network by including real tester feedback and/or an insider tip on each page. Charming pictures of kid testers throughout the book and links to more online photos and well-known food bloggers further established them as tied-in to their readers. I guided them in writing the all the recipe intros and tips, and edited their finished recipes.
The Best of New York
The Challenge
French critics Henri Gault and Christian Millau’s cuisine, travel, and leisure guide to fine living tackled the city that never sleeps. How could they make it stand out?
The Solution
The wit, wisdom, and irreverent style of Gault/Millau was reflected throughout hundreds of candid reviews in this updated guide. As a contributing editor, I shopped, savored, and ate my way through everything from bakeries to boutiques, chocolate shops, shoe stores, kids’ clothing racks, and caviar counters.
