Barnmom - This looks a great gift idea for a couple young girls (sisters) I need to buy for. Two questions:

1) Can you recommend any "sides" to give with this, such as specialty decorating equipment that's a recurring theme?

2) Out of 106 reviews currently on Amazon, just five are less than four stars. Great stats, but one of the one-star reviews caught my eye and I'd be interested in your take on it:

"I read all of the 5 star ratings and thought this would be a great addition to my cookbooks. However, with much disgust, I am already halfway through the recipes and have yet to find even ONE recipe that does not state in parenthesis ingredients can be found at "specialty baking stores" or "online sources." What?! I was under the impression we could find "most" items in our local grocery store or convenience stores as the book states and not have to go to "gourmet candy stores," "baking supply store" or "online sources!!!!!!" Not ONE recipe so far calls for all items we'd find at a grocery store! Black food coloring? Orange food coloring? Moss green food color? Brown food color? (All found at baking supply stores). Dark blue paper liners? Chocolate covered sunflower seeds and black chocolate covered sunflower seeds? (Found at gourmet candy stores). Black, pink and white decorating sugar? Popcorn boxes? Orange melting wafers? Chocolate and white chocolate melting wafers? White, chocolate and carmel jimmies (found at baking supply stores). Blue silver dragees (baking supply stores). Brown paper liners? Striped paper liners? And what the heck are Nonpareils (available at baking supply stores!) There are a few items I've never heard of before. Do not get this book thinking that you can find the decorating candies, food colorings and such at a grocery store! I could list more items not found locally but the above is just the first half of the book's recipes! Granted, yes, the book lists two pages of sources where to get the ingredients NOT found in grocery stores, and yes, the photos of the finished cupcakes are fabulous...now, if I could only make them without all the fuss of buying the ingredients! If I knew what I know now, I would NOT have bought the book!"

I live in an area where I can easily buy any of these things. Joanne's and Michael's are both large chains that carry decorating and cake/candy making supplies. There is also a local cake/candy supply store here with lots more.

The person who wrote the review above must be unfamiliar with pretty regular sounding supplies (to me) and needs his/her hand held through the learning curve or they can simply take a walk down the decorating aisle of Michael's or many craft stores that also carry this stuff. And a lot of the items can be purchased in a grocery store in the baking aisle or candy aisle. The book makes creative use of lots of standard candies like Laffy Taffy and M&Ms and fruit roll-ups, jelly beans, marshmallows, pretzels, etc.

It is a book for people who want to do some delicate work and make cute things. There are easy things and more difficult things. I wouldn't be afraid to buy it for someone who liked to be artistic in the kitchen. I wouldn't buy it for a dump-and-stir cook!

The essential equipment they recommend is really basic. Waxpaper, sharp scissors (like embroidery scissors), ruler, offset metal spatula, rubber spatula, wooden skewers, small paint brushes, ziplock bags, small rolling pin, round toothpicks, tape, two kinds of tweezers (offset and straight), cookie sheet. There is a photo inside of all the stuff. And one needs muffin tins and paper liners. I'd get a selection of candies they show and decorating sugars. And little tiny mise en place bowls.

I think whoever wrote that review was really grumpy!

Well being as Michael's is close, I think you took care of that concern! Thanks for the detailed response - I think I'll go this route.