Here's help. And good humor. Pointers without punishment.

Tammerie Spires gave us A Guide to Happy Family Gardening and A Guide to Happy Family Camping. She's up this time with a book that applies to us all.

As always, Spires insists that each undertaking be sensible -- and fun. She states the Principles (for example, "Temperament is as important as temperature when cooking with kids".). She provides more than 100 handy tips, and then she lays out the recipes in sections (Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Entrees, Desserts).

She winds things up with a Chapter on Occasions and Seasons. It's full of menu ideas cross-referenced to the Recipe section, guaranteed non-geeky decorating possibilities (including table settings that range from fun to elegant), and soup-to-nuts shopping list suggestions for each occasion.

Try simple suppers for your family, or Movable Feasts (that work for potlucks, picnics, and tailgate parties).

Each recipe section opens with recipes that are manageable for the youngest beginner and moves to recipes that build and refine techniques over time. (Each recipe notes the skills that it teaches.)

The recipes are tempting -- "Bruschetta" and "Homemade 'Chips, '" "Turkey and Corn Chowder" and "Tortellini", "Greek Salad" and "Bibb 'n Orange", "Green Noodles" and "Peanutty Tenders", "Poached Pears" and "Apple Tarts" -- and more.