Illustrated food books (books about food in general) are some of my favorites, and this line is no different! Whether you’re a tea and toast lover or someone who lives for pasta, dumplings, and soups, there’s a warm, hearty, and delicious selection for you on this list. There are also a couple of books that encourage picky eaters to try new foods. Seriously, this is one of the funniest lists we’ve ever made.
Best Picture Books About Food, Cooking, and Baking
These are some of the best children’s books on food, cooking, baking, and eating:
You are reading: Picture books about food
amy wu and the perfect bathroom
Published: October 1, 2019
meet funny, fierce and fearless amy wu, who is determined to make a perfect bao bun today. Will she be able to rise to the occasion?
amy loves doing bao with her family. but it takes skill to make the bath taste and look delicious. and her bath keeps going wrong.
then you have an idea that can give you a second chance… will amy ever do the perfect bao?
dim sum for everyone!
Published: March 26, 2014
In English, dim sum means “little hearts” or “touches the heart,” but to this young woman, dim sum means delicious. On a visit to a bustling dim sum restaurant, a family chooses their favorite small plates from steaming carts filled with dumplings, pastries, scones and tarts. and since it’s traditional and fun, they share their food among themselves so that everyone gets a bite of everything. just right for little kids, dim sum for everyone! celebrates a cultural custom and universal favorite activity: eating!
bee-bim bop!
Published: September 12, 2005
bee-bim bop (the name translates to “mixed rice”) is a traditional Korean dish of rice coated and then mixed with meat and vegetables. In a text with lively rhymes, a hungry girl recounts how she helped her mother make bee-bim bop: shopping, preparing the ingredients, setting the table, and finally sitting down with her family to enjoy a meal favorite of hers The young storyteller’s energy and enthusiasm are conveyed in the whimsical illustrations, which bring details of the artist’s childhood in Korea to his depiction of a modern Korean American family. Even young readers unfamiliar with the dish will recognize the pride that comes from helping mom, the fun of mixing ingredients in a bowl, and the joy of sharing a delicious meal. includes author’s recipe.
cora cooks pancit
Published: April 1, 2009
Cora loves being in the kitchen, but she always gets caught up doing the kids’ jobs, like licking the spoon. However, one day, when her older sisters and her brother leave, Ella Cora finally gets the chance to be mom’s kitchen helper. And of all the delicious Filipino dishes dancing on Cora’s head, she and Mom decide to make Pancit, her favorite noodle dish. With Mom’s help, Cora does grown-up chores, like shredding chicken and soaking noodles (Mom may not notice if she takes a bite of chicken or spills some water on the floor). Cora even stirs the noodles in the pot carefully, while Mom watches. When dinner is finally served, Ella’s siblings discover that Cora did all of her adult chores, and Cora eagerly waits to see what everyone thinks of her cooking. Dorina Lazo Gilmore’s text delightfully captures the warmth between mother and daughter as they share a part of their Filipino heritage. Featuring bright and charming illustrations by Kristi Courageous, Cora’s family comes to life as Cora herself becomes the family’s new cook.
dozen donuts
Published: July 21, 2020
A generous but increasingly annoying bear makes batch after batch of donuts for his forest friends without keeping any for himself in this delightful picture book about counting, sharing, and being a good friend.
louann (a bear) is preparing a feast of donuts to prepare for her long winter nap. but just before he takes the first bite, ding dong! Ella’s friend Woodrow (a groundhog) passes by. Louann is happy to share her donuts, but as soon as she and Woodrow sit down to eat, ding ding! clyde (a raccoon) is at the door. One by one, Louann’s friends arrive: Topsy (a possum) and then Moufette (a skunk) and then Chip and Chomp (chipmunks), until it’s one big party. louann welcomes her surprise guests and makes batch after batch of donuts, always dividing them equally among her friends. but she makes a huge miscalculation. Soon Louann’s kitchen is empty, winter is near, and she hasn’t had anything to eat!
snails
Published: April 11, 2017
bonjour! escargot is a beautiful french snail that only wants two things:
1. be your favorite animal.2. to get to the delicious salad at the end of the book.
but when he gets to the salad, he discovers that it has carrots. and snails hate carrots. But when he finally tries one, with a little help from you!, he discovers that he’s not so bad after all.
soul food sunday
Published: November 16, 2021
On Sundays, everyone gathers at Grandma’s house to eat the soul. but today, I don’t go to the backyard or the great room. instead, I follow Grandma. “You’re a big boy now,” Grandma says. “It’s time for you to learn.” At Grandma’s house, Sunday is not Sunday without a big family gathering with a meal prepared with love. Old enough, our narrator is finally invited to help cook the dishes for the first time: he joins Grandma in grating the cheese, cleaning the vegetables, and preparing the meat for Roscoe Ray’s grill. but just as Grandma says they’re done, her grandson makes his own contribution, sweetening this Sunday gathering and many more to come. evocatively written and vividly illustrated, this delightful tale is a warm celebration of tradition and coming together around a table. full of love and delicious food.
dumplings for lili
Published: June 1, 2021
lili loves to cook baos, and nai nai has taught her all the secrets to making them, from lovingly and firmly kneading the dough to being grateful for the strong, healthy ingredients in the filling. But when Nai Nai realizes they’re out of cabbage (Secret #8: Line the basket with cabbage leaves!), she sends Lili to Babcia’s sixth-floor apartment to buy some. Babcia is happy to share her cabbage, but she needs potatoes for her pierogi. . . .
Fry Bread: The Story of a Native American Family
Published: October 22, 2019
Told in vivid, powerful verse by first-time author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern-day Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award-winner and Caldecott honoree Juana Martinez-Neal. .fry bread is food.it is warm and delicious, stacked on a plate.
frying bread is time. brings families together for meals and new memories.
Fried bread is a nation. many share it, from coast to coast and beyond.
the fried bread is us. it is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.
rah, rah, radishes!: a vegetable song
Published: June 14, 2011
ra, ra, radishes, red and white! carrots are calling. take a bite! omg bok choy, brussels sprouts, broccoli! cauliflower! shouts! Do you know a child who does not like vegetables? here is a book that is sure to change your hungry minds! Featuring a raucous rhyming text, rah, rah radishes celebrates fresh vegetables, the bright colors of nature, and the joy of healthy eating. The book’s interactive spirit encourages children to join in the fun of reading aloud, and little ones won’t be able to resist the book’s vibrant photos – they’re a feast for the eyes!
pancake lady & mr french toast
Published: September 1, 2015
The race has begun! Who will win the tastiest food fight ever?
A completely delicious picture book about the funniest “food fight” ever! Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have a beautiful friendship, until they discover that there is only one drop of maple syrup left. they leave, running past the orange juice fountain, skiing through the sauerkraut spout and staggering through the linguine. but who will enjoy the sweet taste of victory? And could it be better to work together than tear each other apart? the action-packed rhyme makes for an adrenaline-pumping breakfast. . . even without a drop of coffee!
our little kitchen
Published: September 22, 2020
tie on your apron! roll up your sleeves! the pans are out, the oven is hot, the kitchen is ready! where do we start?
In this lively and heartwarming picture book by Caldecott honoree Jillian Tamaki, a team of resourceful neighbors come together to prepare a meal for their community. With a garden full of produce, a cheerfully chaotic kitchen, and a friendly meal shared at the table, our little kitchen is a celebration of full stomachs and caring for one another. Bonus materials include recipes and an author’s note on the volunteer experience that inspired the book.
the pot that the maiden stirred
Published: February 1, 2011
This is the story of how the maiden and all the farm animals worked together to make the rice pudding they serve at the party. With the familiarity of “the house that jack built,” this story bubbles and builds like the ingredients in the arroz con leche that everyone enjoys. By cleverly incorporating Spanish words, adding a new one in place of the English word from the previous page, this book makes learning the language easy and fun.
rafael lopez covers each page with lush, vibrant colors, celebrating tradition and community.
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The above material includes a glossary of Spanish words and a recipe for arroz con leche, perfect for everyone to prepare together and enjoy at story time.
hot roti, hot for dada-ji
Published: May 1, 2011
Aneel’s grandparents have come to stay, from India. Aneel loves the sweet smell of her grandmother’s incense, and her grandfather, dada-ji, tells the best stories in the world. When he was a child, the adventurous and energetic Dada-ji had the power of a tiger. hun-hee! yes sir! he could shake mangoes from trees and fight wild cobras. And what gave him the power of him? hot, fluffy, puffy roti, with a bit of mango pickle that burns your tongue. dada-ji still has the power? Aneel wants to find out, but first she has to figure out how to whip up a batch of spicy rotis brimming with family, food, and lots of fun and spicy rotis for dada-ji that are sure to warm the heart. and tickles in the belly. hun-hee! yes sir!
freedom soup
Published: December 10, 2019
the shake-shake of the maracas vibrates down to my toes. my grandmother’s feet tap-tap to the rhythm.
Each year, Haitians around the world celebrate the new year by eating a special soup, a tradition that dates back to the Haitian revolution. this year, ti gran is teaching belle how to make the soup, the soup of freedom, just like she was taught when she was a child. together, they dance and clap their hands as they prepare the festive feast, and ti gran tells belle the story of the soup, the story of belle’s family, and the story of haiti, where belle’s family is from. In this celebration of cultural traditions passed down from one generation to the next, Jacqueline Alcántara’s lush illustrations bring to life both the story of Belle and the story of the Haitian Revolution. As accessible as it is sensory, Tami Charles’s lyrical text makes for a story that readers will enjoy to the last drop.
bilal kitchen daal
Published: June 4, 2019
Six-year-old bilal introduces his friends to his favorite dish, daal!, in this charming picture book that shows the value of patience, teamwork, community and sharing.
Six-year-old bilal is excited to help his father prepare his all-time favorite food: daal! The South Asian slow-cooked lentil dish requires a lot of ingredients and a lot of waiting. bilal wants to introduce his friends to daal. they have never tried it! as the day progresses, the daal continues to simmer and more children join bilal and his family, hoping to sample the tasty dish. And as time passes, Bilal begins to wonder: will his friends like it as much as he does?
a good dessert: four centuries, four families, a delight
Published: January 27, 2015
in 1710, a girl and her mother in lyme, england, make a blackberry fool by picking wild blackberries and churning their cow’s cream with a bunch of twigs. The same dessert is prepared by a slave girl and her mother in 1810 in Charleston, South Carolina; by a mother and daughter in 1910 in boston; and finally for a boy and his father in present day san diego.
Children and parents alike will delight in discovering the differences in daily life across four centuries.
soup day
Published: September 28, 2010
On a cold and snowy day, a girl and her mother go shopping to buy ingredients for a vegetable soup. at home, they work together, step by step, to prepare the food. while the soup is cooking, they pass the time playing and reading. Before long, Dad’s house and the family are sitting down to a home-cooked dinner.
dragons love tacos
Published: June 14, 2012
Dragons love tacos. they love chicken tacos, beef tacos, large tacos, and tiny tacos. so if you want to attract a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. buckets and buckets of tacos. unfortunately where there are tacos there is also salsa. and if a dragon accidentally eats hot sauce. . . oh boy you’re in hot trouble.
everyone loves bacon
Published: September 1, 2015
egg loves bacon.lettuce loves bacon.waffles love bacon.bacon is sizzling with popularity.and just about everyone thinks it’s the best.
That is, until the fame of the bacon goes to his head. he is so busy absorbing the attention that he soon forgets about the important things in life, like friendship and family. How will it all turn out for our handsome and delicious hero?
delicious disgusting
Published: November 15, 2011
Spaghetti is delicious, but worms (and blue crayons, sand, and other things too gross to mention) are definitely gross when tasted. Lovably illustrated in a bright graphic style, Leslie Patricelli’s lively book Yummy Yucky stars a compliant and highly expressive bald little boy who acts out each pair of opposites to comic and dramatic effect.
pete the cat and the perfect pizza party
Published: September 3, 2019
It’s a party, a party, a perfect pizza party!
that’s what pete thinks as he piles the cake with his favorite topping: pepperoni. but then her friends come over and add their own toppings to the pizza. Will pete’s perfect pizza be ruined? There’s only one way to find out!
In this hardcover picture book filled with fun alliteration and tasty eats from the New York Times bestselling team of Kimberly and James Dean, Pete and the gang learn that the best kind of pizza is the one you share with your friends. .
the cow loves cookies
Published: July 6, 2010
With an original twist on the ordinary barnyard picture book, this read aloud from bestselling author Karma Wilson is a clever exploration of a curious incident on the farm. As the farmer makes his rounds each day, most of the animals chew on the food a young reader would expect. But when it’s time to feed the cow, she delights in a special treat! Wilson’s signature style and Marcellus Hall’s lively watercolors will delight kids on and off the farm, because when it comes down to it, who doesn’t love milk and cookies?
Tales of picky eaters
Published: May 2, 2011
James is a very picky eater. his father has to be creative, very creative, so that james eats food that he thinks he doesn’t like. Presents James with a series of wacky scenarios packed with whimsical and gross kid-friendly details, like pre-chewed gum as an alternative to broccoli and lumpy oats that grow so big they eat the dog, in an effort to get James to eat. But ultimately it’s James himself who discovers that some foods aren’t so bad after all, if he’s willing to try them. child in a fun and satisfying way.
I will never stop eating a tomato
Published: August 28, 2000
Lola is a picky eater. a very picky eater. She won’t eat her carrots (until older brother Charlie reveals that they are actually orange sprigs of Jupiter). She won’t eat her mashed potatoes (until Charlie explains that they are fluffy clouds from Mount Fuji’s sharpest peak). There are many, many things that Lola absolutely will not eat, including, and especially, tomatoes. Or will she?
the watermelon seed
Published: May 14, 2013
With perfect comic timing, Greg Pizzoli introduces us to a funny crocodile who has a great fear: swallowing a watermelon seed. What will you do when you realize your greatest fear? will vines sprout from their ears? Will his skin turn pink? This crocodile has a wild imagination that kids will love.
no kimchi for me!
Published: September 5, 2017
yoomi hates stinky and spicy kimchi, the pickled cabbage relish served in Korean meals. so her brothers call her baby and refuse to play with her. yoomi is determined to eat kimchi. she tries to cover it up by eating it in a cookie, on a pizza, and in ice cream. but that doesn’t work. Grandma then shows Yoomi how to make kimchi pancakes. This story about family, food, and a six-year-old’s “coming of age” has universal themes while celebrating Korean culture. a recipe for kimchi pancakes and other previous stuff is included.
gazpacho for nachos
Published: January 14, 2014
nacho likes to eat only one thing: gazpacho! gazpacho for breakfast, gazpacho for lunch, gazpacho for dinner, for snacks and for brunch. nacho will not even try other dishes, until he discovers miles and lots of delicious vegetables in the market. This lively rhyming story, sprinkled with Spanish, will delight little chefs. A gazpacho recipe and a Spanish glossary are included.
everyone cooks rice
Published: February 1, 1991
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A boy is sent to fetch a younger brother at dinnertime and is introduced to a variety of cultures through encountering the different ways rice is prepared in the different homes visited.
nacho chips: the story behind the world’s favorite snack
Published: August 11, 2020
Celebrating 80 years of nachos with nacho chips! In Nacho Nachos, Sandra Nickel and Oliver Dominguez introduce young readers to Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya and tell the true story of how he invented the world’s most beloved snack in a moment of culinary inspiration.
salma the syrian chef
Published: March 10, 2020
all salma wants is to make her mom smile again. between english classes, job interviews and dad’s absence in syria, mom always seems busy or sad. A homemade Syrian meal might cheer her up, but Salma doesn’t know the recipe, or what to call vegetables in English, or where to find the right spices! Fortunately, the staff and other newcomers to your welcome home are happy to lend a hand and a pinch of sumac.
With creativity, determination and charm, Salma gathers her new friends to show Mom that while things aren’t perfect, there is cause for hope and celebration. Syrian culture is beautifully represented through the food Salma prepares and Anna Bron’s vibrant illustrations, while the diverse cast of characters speaks to the power of cultivating community in difficult circumstances.
amelia bedelia’s first apple pie
Published: July 27, 2010
amelia bedelia is sure you’ll love all things fall.
the colorful trees jumping in the leaves apples, apples, apples warm apple pie fun family projects
amelia bedelia can’t wait. What could be better? fall! Hooray for apples and fall!
the apple pie daddy baked
Published: July 24, 2007
These are the apples, juicy and red, that went into the cake, warm and sweet, that Dad baked… guess who!
smash the cat: cry for ice cream
Published: April 21, 2015
splat can hardly sit still during the bus ride. he’s picturing the mountain of ice cream he thinks he’ll eat! but when splat gets there, that mountain becomes more of an avalanche. It’s up to splat and his classmates to save the day!
Beginning readers will practice the -eam sound in this easy-to-read addition to the splat series.
giant cake
Published: June 1, 2006
Today is grandma’s birthday, and grandpa has an ichin’, to make a huge chocolate cake and traumatize the kitchen!
betty bunny loves chocolate cake
Published: May 5, 2011
Betty Bunny is the youngest of her rabbit family and she’s just discovering the important things in life, like chocolate cake. she declares, “I’m going to marry chocolate cake” and carries a piece to school with her in her pocket. mom values healthy eating and tells betty bunny that she needs patience when it comes to dessert. but betty bunny doesn’t want patience, she wants chocolate cake! In this fun tribute to chocolate lovers (and picky eaters), Betty Bunny’s charming perspective on patience will be recognizable to anyone with a preschooler in her life.
peanut butter & cupcake
Published: July 29, 2014
What does a little piece of bread do when it feels lonely? find a friend, of course!
And that’s exactly what peanut butter is trying to do. But sometimes friends are hard to come by, especially when Burger has to take his hotdogs out for a walk, Cupcake is too busy building castles in his treat box, and Egg is laughing so hard he starts laughing out loud! does peanut butter have a soul mate? young readers will know the answer long before peanut butter and will laugh at each mismatched pairing.
In a story that combines silliness with emotion and friendship with anthropomorphic food, Terry Border, the photography mastermind behind the Bent Objects Project, makes a grand entrance into the world of children’s books. Complete with a rhyming chorus, it’s sure to be a family favorite read-aloud and laugh-out-loud.
bon appetit! the delicious life of julia child
Published: May 22, 2012
Follow julia child, chef, author, and television personality, from her childhood in pasadena, california, to her life as a spy in world war ii, the cooking classes she took in paris, and the publication of how to master the art from French cooking, to the funny moments of being a chef on television. This is a comprehensive and charming biography of a picture book, told in many panels and packed with lively, humorous, kid-friendly details. Young chefs and fans of Julia Child will exclaim, “ooooh la la,” over this book, which is as energetic and eccentric as the chef himself.
pea
Published: February 17, 2005
A sweet and fun story that little picky eaters can relate to: If the pea doesn’t eat all its candy, there won’t be any veggies for dessert! what’s a young pea to do? A charming twist on a classic parenting situation, kids will enjoy the unique story and bond with the little pea more than expected.
• an entertaining mealtime story with a charming text that families can enjoy together• features simple yet powerful illustrations that are engaging and help readers connect with the story• amy krouse rosenthal is a writer resident in chicago and mama pea. she is the author of the encyclopedia of our ordinary life. this is her first children’s book of hers
if you give a cat a cupcake
Published: September 30, 2008
the if you give… series is one of the children’s favourites. With their sober, rhythmic text and circular story, these books are perfect for beginning readers and story time. sure to inspire laughter and requests to “read it again!”
Other favorites from Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond’s best-selling series include:
if you give a dog a donut
if you give a moose a muffin
if you give a mouse a cookie
if you give a pig a pancake
if you give a pig a party
how to feed your parents
Published: August 7, 2018
who’s a picky eater? not matilda! A little girl with adventurous tastes turns her picky eater parents on their heads and teaches them that there can be more to dinner than just chicken nuggets. Matilda Macaroni loves trying new foods, whether it’s her jambalaya or grandmother or sushi at a sleepover. But, in this fun and twisted picture book, it’s finicky mom and dad, not the kid, who only eat pizza with pepperoni (delivered), burgers out of a bag, or noodles out of a box. Eager to experience new flavors, Matilda secretly sets out to learn how to cook, to satisfy her hunger for something more. . . and expand the palates of her parents as well. There’s also a family recipe for macaroni quiche that young cooks can try!
there they are: 41 of the best picture books on food! Which of these children’s books have you read and loved? Which ones did I miss?
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