New Year's in Tuscany would have been nice, but linguine at home did just fine. Now if only you could teach the kids to make your favorite vitello from that little bistro in Sienna...

Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook, the first in a multi-cultural series, teaches junior how to speak Italian and whip up a meal any nona would be proud of. The names of the utensils and ingredients are translated in the introduction, and the Italian words are then incorporated in recipe directions. The cookbook (which comes with a chef's hat) features bold-colored illustrations of the Handstand Kids characters, including Marvin who hopes to one day open a restaurant that serves paninis.

The meals might not be Top Chef worthy in their level of sophistication, but they sure beat chicken fingers every night.

Available online at handstandkids.com