by Bob Walch

December 2010 — Here are some gift ideas for books that will put a smile on anyone’s face this holiday season.

StoryWorld (Templar, $12.99), by John and Caitlin Matthews

This create-a-story kit contains 40 cards featuring characters, settings and objects that are to be used to create your own story. An instruction book comes with the kit to get you started.

Not only is this a great gift for children 8 and older, but it’s something the entire family can enjoy. Working singly or in teams of two, family members can collaborate to make up a tale and then either write it down or give an oral presentation.

Also, if you are looking for a gift for your child’s teacher, this kit would be greatly appreciated — and it could have an impact on the classroom.

Plain Sailing: Learning to See Like a Sailor (Burford Books, 192 pages, $18.95), by Dallas Murphy

Knowing when, how and why to trim your sails is the essence of sailing. If you understand trim, you understand sailing. By focusing on “wind awareness” the author helps all sailors better understand the principles and practice of sail trim — how to adjust sails so they interact most efficiently with the wind.

In this comprehensive guide you’ll learn how to look at a sail, how to distinguish good trim from bad, how to diagnose a blown-out sail, and much more.

DragonArt Evolution: How to Draw Everything Dragon (Impact Books, 144 pages, $22.99), by J. “NeonDragon” Peffer

The follow-up to DragonArt, this volume shows how to make even more authentic portraits. The book includes over 60 step-by-step demonstrations that cover a variety of dragon types.

The book is divided into two sections: “Dragon Anatomy and Equipment” and “Dragon Demonstrations.” Peffer’s full-color diagrams and drawings offer step-by-step explanations on how to create a fully-featured dragon.

Peffer teaches the reader how to render every aspect of the beast: eyes, ears, horns, wings, scale patterns and limbs. With the extra tips and drawing tricks provided, artists will find everything they need to create these awesome creatures.

But it is also important to heed the author’s advice: “I hope that you use these demonstrations as sources of inspiration and foundations for drawing and designing dragons, rather than the end-all book on the subject.

Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3 (Plume, 448 pages, $16), by Todd Wilbur

The 150 recipes featured here are clones of the fare found at a number of popular restaurants. Whether or not you dine at Applebee’s, the LongHorn Steakhouse, Mimi’s Cafe, the Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, P.F. Chang’s or T.G.I. Friday’s, you can prepare their signature dishes at home.

Thanks to Todd Wilbur, here are the instructions for duplicating Chili’s Nacho Burger, IHOP’s Funnel Cakes, the Olive Garden’s Mango Martini, Carrabba’s Spicy Sausage Lentil Soup and much, much more.

Taking “reverse engineering” to new heights in the kitchen, Wilbur has created pretty good copies of these “secret” recipes. With easy-to-follow directions, helpful diagrams, and recipes designed around everyday ingredients, this book is a joy to use.