0-2 years (board books)

Monkey World ABC by Matthew Porter

I just can't decide which is the most awesome: D for monkey DJ, R for roller monkey, V for monkey ventriloquist, or W for monkey wrestler.  

Cozy Classics: Moby Dick by Jack and Holman Wang   

Herman Melville's classic is boiled down to 12 words and 12 brilliant needle-felted illustrations -- less than this enthusiastic description (e.g. the best reason why captain Ahab does what he does: MAD).

Alexander Girard Color by Gloria Fowler     

3-5 years (picture books)

Although not officially a sequel, this is still in my "top three best follow-up stories ever" list.  Includes a valuable, if crushing, lesson!  

Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind by Gary Ross, illustrated by Matthew Myers  

This epic story has a unique storytelling format (read: a mash-up of Shel Silverstein, Robert Louis Stevenson and J.M. Barrie), and is destined to become a bedtime favorite.

Sky High by Germano Zullo  

The funniest story ever, accompanied by the most imaginative pen-and-ink line work. So chock full of details and puns you find something new every time.

6-8 years (early readers)

Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot by Anna Branford, illustrated by Elanna Allen  

An unexpected sleeper hit, this small heroine with really big ideas will surely win you over.

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo, Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile   

If you've ever been a best friend or ever had one, you will definitely enjoy how these two always agree to disagree agreeably in the end.

Great Big Enormous Book of Tashi by Anna and Barbara Fienberg and Kim Gamble  

A weirdly delightful tale of a delightfully weird character named Tashi, and his just plain weird and delightful adventures.

9-12 years (middle grade readers)

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester  

After seeing this one literally fly of the shelf, I had to see what the hubbub was all about, and this story definitely delivers: a powerhouse of a tale with a heroine you can't help but instantly adore. 

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate  

Told from the point of view of a captive silverback gorilla who has a zen-like penchant for drawing.  My favorite line: "If I get tired and need a break, I eat my crayons."

The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann  

Intriguing, unique, and told with artistic prose, the greatest mystery of this story is: how did a 16-year-old write that?

teens

Every Day by David Levithan  

This story made my mind explode, but in a good way; see what it truly means to try on someone else's skin, what it's really like to be them, and how that defines what love really is.

Undead by Kirsty Mckay  

Told like a really great zombie movie should be filmed: hilarious, snarky, gory, and peek-through-your-fingers scaredy-cat fun.

Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire by Heather Swain  

The answer to the deluge of supernatural teen-angst dramas--though this plucky heroine is involved in supernatural teen-angst drama, she really isn't a vampire--she just got sent to the wrong anger-management support group.

And, at last check, there were about 15,000 other options for kids, so drop by anytime. 

Let's start with Venetian food by way of London:  Polpo: a Venentian Cookbook (of Sorts) by Russell Norman ($50). This is surely the most beautiful book on my list this fall, with exposed spine sewing, plentiful photos of Venice and the featured dishes, and a drop-dead cover. Polpo is a small bacara in Soho (London), and the food is lovingly modeled on these humble Venetian gathering places that hum with conversation, feature simple small bites, and always start with a spritz (Aperol, white wine, soda, lemon, and an olive). The food is stripped down and shareable-Norman quotes Saint Exupery: "Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." Think Rocket and Walnut Pesto Crostini; or Cod Cheeks, Lentils, and Salsa Verde; or Zucchini, Basil, and Parmesan Salad. Sfiziosimmi!

As long as we're abroad, let's move on to Gran Cocina Latina: the Food of Latin America by Maricel Presilla ($45), a magnum opus of a cookbook, with 500+ recipes, 100+ illustrations, plentiful sidebars, variations, notes, drink pairing suggestions, and so on for nearly 900 pages (if you braised this book, it would serve at least 12). Throughout, Presilla explores the many recipes, techniques, and ingredients that both unify and distinguish Latin American cooking. The most exhaustive book on the subject I've ever seen, Gran Cocina Latina would inspire any curious home cook.

And in the worldly vein, there's also  Vegan Eats World: 300 International Recipes for Savoring the Planet by Terry Hope Romero ($35). It's a solid collection of 300 recipes of varying complexity from all over the world, from curries to dumplings, noodles to one-pot meals. While not graphically stimulating, it's a no-nonsense recipe book for the vegan home cook. Think of dishes like Andean Ahi Bean Stew; Greek Eggplant Lasagna; or Watercress Coconut Lumpia Spring Rolls.

Now on to Jerusalem, properly subtitled A Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi ($35). You might remember Ottolenghi from Plenty, my favorite cookbook of the last several years and my favorite veggie cookbook of all time. Well here he's teamed up with Arab chef Sami Tamimi to portray Jerusalem in recipes and pictures, and what splendid flavors burst from these pages-mint, yogurt, lemon, chickpeas, etc. It's a beautiful hardcover filled with 120+ cross-cultural recipes that make you want to cook, eat, and travel. Soups, veggies, meats, savory pastries, condiments-they're all here. Highly recommended for any adventuresome cook.

Closer to home is a general cookbook that evolved from the Smitten Kitchen blog, entitled (wait for it. . . .) The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes and Wisdom from an Obsessive Home Cook by Deb Perelman ($35). This is an almost bossy, straight-forward recipe book full of variations on the standards (her grilled cheese is Emmentaler on Rye with Sweet and Sour Red Onions); innovative comfort food (Cheddar Swirl Breakfast Buns); and generally hearty fare (Tomato-Glazed Meatloaves with Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes). Throughout are Perelman's tips, very personal intros to each recipe, and plenty of luscious photos. A fine gift for the home cook who can follow a recipe and seeks inspiration.  

Another collection of recipes that defies easy categorization is Canal House Cooks Every Day by Hamilton and Hirsheimer ($45). This talented duo guided Saveur magazine through the 1990s, and they share a studio/kitchen overlooking a canal near the Jersey/PA border. More importantly, they cook delicious and very do-able recipes and photograph them well enough to put your salivary glands on red alert. There's nothing ground-breaking here-it's mostly workaday, but flawlessly tested and presented for any home cook who can wield a knife. It's also beautifully bound in red fabric. There's comfort food, like the Rolled Flank Steak with Pesto, and lighter dishes like the Open-Faced Zucchini Omelet-mostly it's bistro fare. Arranged seasonally but well cross-indexed, this 250-recipe collection will look good on your shelf, and the results will certainly grace your table.

Now for the ground-breaking. A few years ago, a six-volume collection called Modernist Cuisine was released in limited quantities, each set in its own Lucite case. Even at $625, we sold a handful, which is unusual for our humble store and a testament to how many San Franciscans take their cooking seriously.   Now there's Modernist Cuisine at Home. Weighing in at 11 pounds in two parts, Modern Cuisine at Home bridges the gap between cutting edge cuisine and your home kitchen, if you're willing to cook your sunny-side-up eggs in two parts, yolk and white. Want to make your steaks in a sous vide cooler? Check. Pressure-cooked chickpea salad? In there. Onion fluid gel? Page 21!

It's slip-cased in two volumes (a perfect-bound oversized main volume of technique and illustration, plus a spiral bound "kitchen manual.") And it's $140. We also have the original  Modernist Cuisine if you can afford--and understand--it.

If nothing here catches your fancy, there are a few thousand other options on our shelves, covering everything from drinks to crock-pots, vegetarian to Japanese. We hope your holiday season is full of books, good food, and joy.