A recipe book for moms and dads comes with poetry for girls and lads.

“Cook-n-Rhyme with Kids” by Copper Mountain resident Diana Etheridge contains a mix of healthy gourmet recipes, poems and stories about the nutrients and kid-pleasing illustrations by her daughter.

In the book, home chefs and their little assistants travel though Vitamin Valley and the Mineral Mountains and meet such characters as “Pretty Miss Vitamin C,” “Protein Pete” and “Calvert Calcium.”

Each recipe has a kids’ page with a poem that tells about the recipe and why it is good for them, and a parents’ page that gives clear directions and hints to make the child a part of the action.

Parents and kids together can prepare dishes such as Smile Cake, Sassy Saucy Chicken and many more.

Then there is the skills section, in which parents can teach children basic cooking skills such as kneading and using a rolling pin as well as measuring and even gaining a rudimentary knowledge of fractions.

Etheridge, a former teacher, began writing her cookbook for her daughter, Melissa, many years ago because the youngster was so interested in cooking.

Etheridge also wanted Melissa and her younger sister, Juliana, to learn about health and nutrition and how to cook nutritious recipes.

Years later, Juliana, an award-winning graphic artist, has illustrated Cook-n-Rhyme with Kids.