How can you introduce kids to stories, culture, food, family, friends, and STEM all at once? With children’s books, of course!
Many families love cooking together, exploring food and flavors, and trying out new recipes. Others struggle more. Maybe you aren’t comfortable in the kitchen?. Or, your kids are reluctant to try new foods?
My kids are slowly getting a little more adventurous, but we’ve struggled at times with trying new foods. That means it’s extra fun when we do figure out how to add variety to our meals.
Enter the picture book!
Picture Books About Food
Over the past few years, we’ve read more than a few picture books about food and cooking. These books are colorful, adventurous stories about kids trying something new, learning from their mistakes, and—most importantly—learning to love cooking.
And then last year, I was offered the opportunity to illustrate a new book—a fun kitchen adventure with STEM concepts. That Baking Smell, by Shannon Bliss, a story that explores chemistry in the kitchen.
After working on That Baking Smell, I started seeing the STEM concepts in other books. I also started appreciating just how much there is to learn from these stories.
(You can find more about this book on the author’s website here, or find it on Amazon here.)
This fall, I’m going to share some of our favorite children’s books about food and cooking. Here are some children’s books about food to get you and your family started on a culinary adventure!
(Note: this post includes affiliate links to Amazon. There is no extra cost to using these links. If you prefer, though, you can find many of these books here on Bookshop.)
This week’s theme—cooking with friends and family around the world.
Many of these picture books include a recipe at the end, for kids to try. (I highly recommend making a few of these recipes with your kids too!)
Book Recommendations:
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao, by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua Why can’t Amy make the perfect bao? Too big, too small, lumpy, and falling apart…it feels like her bao always end in disaster. But with her family’s encouragement, Amy learns persistence and creativity in cooking.
Bee-Bim Bop!, by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Ho Baek Lee. Who’s ready for a playful, lyrical romp through the grocery store and kitchen? In this story, a family hurries to find supplies and get things ready in the kitchen.
Bilal Cooks Daal, by Aisha Saeed, illustrated by Anoosha Syed. Bilal’s favorite food is daal, and in this story, he’s excited to show his friends how to make it. But how will they wait while the daal cooks?
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. Another lyrical romp! This one featuring the beloved food from the new world. This book follows the steps for making fry bread, while celebrating family and diversity.
Everybody Cooks Rice, by Norah Dooley and Peter J. Thornton – It’s dinner time, but Carrie’s brother is off playing. She has to look for them, visiting all the families in her neighborhood. At each house, Carrie finds the families cooking different kinds of rice.
The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred, by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Rafael López. A fun reinterpretation of “The House that Jack Built.” In this story, everyone works together to cook cooking arroz con leche for the fiesta.
Freedom Soup, by Tami Charles, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara. When Belle learns to make freedom soup, it isn’t just a recipe. It’s her family story, passed down through generations of Haitian history.
Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-Ji, by Ken Min, illustrated by Farhana Zia. Tall tales, sweet smells, and tasty bread mix together in a lively story! Aneel wants to cook a treat for his grandfather, Dada-ji. This story celebrates family stories, while making new traditions.
10 Gulab Jamon, by Sandhya Acharya, illustrated by Vanessa Alexandre. Two young brothers get to watch while their mother prepares food. They have to wait for the guests to arrive but patience is hard. It’s especially challenging when there are 10 warm treats waiting.
Plátanos Go with Everything, by Lissette Norman, illustrated by Sara Palacios. Yesenia loves platanos, but they’re not just a tasty treat! Platanos carry memories and stories from her parent’s homeland in the Dominican Republic.
Spicy Spicy Hot!, by Lenny Wen. Lintang is so excited to meet her nenek, her grandmother, and to taste Nenek’s legendary sambal. But sometimes it takes a little time to get used to new things.
Thank you, Omu, by Oge Mora. Omu is making dinner, and she’s looking forward to eating the thick red stew. As her neighbors drop by, sniffing the air, she shares from her pot with them all. Will there be enough to go around?
Bonus: A Recipe Book
Inspired to start cooking now and want more ideas? There are tons of fun kid-oriented cookbooks! For this particular theme, I recommend checking out Cooking Class: Global Feast for more recipes from around the world.
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You can also find the next post in this series with picture books about baking + chemistry here.
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