Last Updated on December 1, 2023 by Louisa
Is your kid a foodie at heart? Are you trying to find a book about food for kids that keeps them engaged? Then you’ve come to the right place.
If your kid is excited about snacktime, has shown an interest in cooking, or maybe their a fussy eater and needs more education about where food comes from, then a kid’s books featuring food can be the ultimate resource.
Not only do they get your child excited about food, but they develop a keen interest in reading, too.
When it comes to teaching kids about food, it’s always superheroes, talking bears, and princesses that hook kids into a story. Sometimes the tastiest ingredients in your pantry have their own great story.
In this guide, I’ve put together a list of my favorite books about food for kids, to get them excited about food and reading!
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Best Books About Food For Kids
Are you hungry to get some reading done with your little ones? Then these are my favorite food books for kids that love everything about food.
1. The Adventures Of Bumble Pea and Koala Pear: The Search For Syrup – Tori Deal & Vira Becker
With a name like The Adventures of Bumble Pea and Koala Pear: The Search For Syrup, you know this book will be appealing to kids that love food.
I caught Tori Deal doing a live reading of this book on Instagram and immediately fell in love with how adorable this tale is.
Best friends Bumble Pea and Koala Pear wonder what happened to all the syrup. Pancakes aren’t the same without them.
They journey through a magical food-themed world where they meet new friends that help them on their quest.
This book teaches kids a valuable lesson about friendship and sharing with the people you love.
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2. Dragons Love Tacos – Adam Rubin
Do you want a quick and fun read that will keep your kids entertained? Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin is a top choice for many kids.
This book is an excellent choice if your kid is curious about dragons. It centers around a young boy who wants to throw a taco party.
Not just any taco party, though. This is a taco party for dragons.
The narrator teaches him all the rules of a dragon taco party, including what tacos they like and why they shouldn’t eat hot salsa.
This fun story features adorable illustrations. Kids love the humor and pace of the story.
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3. I Can Eat A Rainbow – Olena Rose
Kids and vegetables have never really gotten along. But a growing body needs to eat plenty of fruits and veggies.
I Can Eat A Rainbow by Olena Rose is one of the best books about food for kids if you have a picky eater on your hands.
In this story, Olena Rose finds a way to make eating vegetable fun. The book is filled with vivid, colorful images that kids love.
It also has rhyming phrases that kids will enjoy reading along with.
The best part is this book informs children of why eating nutritious snacks is good for their bodies. It also covers why too much junk food is bad for you in a way kids can relate to.
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4. Good Enough To Eat: A Kids Guide To Food and Nutrition – Lizzy Rockwell
Lizzy Rockwell found a way to make the food guide enjoyable for children. Good Enough To Eat: A Kid’s Guide To Food And Nutrition is a great choice for every child’s bookshelf.
Throughout the pages of this book, readers will follow kids who answer important questions about food and how nutrition affects our health.
The pages are filled with fun illustrations that help kids understand more about how nutrition works.
What kids love about this book is that they can keep learning going off the pages. This book includes several experiments that children can try and delicious recipes too.
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5. Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast – Josh Funk
Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast by Josh Funk is an exciting children’s book with kids (and their parents) on the edge of their seats.
Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast were best friends. They always got along perfectly. But, when they found out there was only one drop of maple syrup left, their friendship was put on the line.
The two friends begin to race each other through a food-themed world. Both are determined to taste that last sweet drop of syrup.
This is a great book for kids because as the two leading characters face challenges, they realize why working together is better.
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6. Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli – Barbara Jean Hicks
If you can’t convince your child to finish their vegetables, some monsters could help. One of the best books about food for kids is Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks.
What does a waitress do when monsters are seated at her table? They claim they hate vegetables and other healthy food too. These monsters want to eat tractors, rocketships, or even special steel stew.
Throughout the pages, the monsters learn about the importance of healthy eating. As the monsters learn why broccoli is good, your kids will too.
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7. Every Night Is Pizza Night – J Kenji Lopez-Alt
There are wonderful foods all around the world. If you want to open your child’s eyes to trying different types of food, we suggest getting a copy of Every Night Is Pizza Night by J Kenji Lopez-Alt.
Pizza is Pipo’s favorite food. She could eat it every day for every meal. However, pizza isn’t the only dish on the menu.
If Pipo is willing to try new things, she could discover a food she likes even more than a pizza.
Kids will enjoy going through the pages as Pipo tries new meals with different friends. They may even want to try some new foods after reading this book too.
It’s a great book for parents who are weaning their kids off the usual diet and trying to get them to try new foods.
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8. Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junkfood – Stan and Jan Berenstain
When I think of beginner chapter books for kids about food, I always think of Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food.
In this story, Mama Bear notices that Papa and the cubs have been eating too many snacks.
While I wouldn’t say I like how Mama points out how chubby the others have gotten, this book makes the list today because it teaches kids a valuable lesson on healthy eating.
Dr. Grizzly teaches the bears how healthy eating affects their bodies and why they can benefit from better food choices. The doctor also shows the bears why regular exercise is essential.
The Berenstain Bears were a staple in my childhood, and they are stories that kids today can also appreciate.
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9. Rah, Rah, Radishes – April Sayre
Rah, Rah, Radishes is one of the best food books for kids to read aloud, especially if you’re looking for a rainy-day book to read to your toddler.
April Sayre was creative with her words for this book. Rhyming about vegetables has never been so fun before.
This book is a hit with kids, even the ones who don’t finish their vegetables. Every page has a rhyme that’s fun to read aloud, encouraging the little ones to practice reading.
The vivid pictures also entertain kids.
Rah, Rah, and Radishes have kids excited to see more natural colors on their plates.
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10. Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament – Anne Renaud
Do your kids enjoy eating potato chips? Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament by Anne Renaud is a fun take on how the potato chip was invented.
A customer hankering for potatoes comes into Chef George Crum’s restaurant. To impress him, Crum whips up a plate of potato wedges. The customer sends them back because they’re too big.
Feeling extra creative, Crum chops up potatoes as thin as he can. He fries them and salts them. The finished product is the potato chip.
Kids will love this fun version of the history of one of their favorite snacks.
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11. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie – Laura Numeroff
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff was released in 1985. Many decades later, kids still ask their parents to read it to them repeatedly.
In this fun story, a child gives a mouse a cookie. What they weren’t expecting was everything they would have to do after.
With the cookie, the mouse wanted some milk. Then they wanted a napkin and a mirror, and the list continues.
Throughout the book, the child becomes annoyed by everything they must do for the mouse. Ultimately, the story is an excellent lesson on why it’s essential to clean up after eating.
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12. Just Try One Bite – Adam Mansbach
Try Just One Bite by Adam Mansbach is one of the best food books for kids that flips the script. In this book, the kids want healthier choices, while the parents are fussy eaters.
Throughout this story, the kids use rhymes to convince their parents to change their diets. It can be difficult for young ones to convince their parents that they’re right, even if it means eating broccoli.
Kids will have a lot of fun with this food book because it’s a situation where the kids are right and the parents are wrong.
They may even be able to teach you something about nutrition after reading this book.
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13. The Cool Bean – Jory John
The Cool Bean by Jory John is one of my favorite kids’ stories about kindness. This is a great book for kids that feel like they’re outsiders.
Butterbeans used to hang out with the Cool Beans. They are the coolest beans in town. Things aren’t the same as last year, and Butterbean feels he doesn’t fit in anymore.
As kids read through this story, each Cool Beans shows Butterbeans a different type of kindness.
He begins to realize that his friends still care about him. As Butterbean feels accepted, he becomes more confident.
Kids will learn why it’s important to be kind to people as they root for Butterbean throughout this story.
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14. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates – Ryan T Higgins
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T Higgin follows Penelope the t-rex. Penelope’s about to start school with other kids.
This is a big problem for Penelope because humans are her favorite food.
Penelope’s teacher tells her she cannot eat the other students. That doesn’t stop her from trying, though.
When the school’s goldfish bit Penelope’s finger, it hurt. This teaches her a lesson about biting others.
Kids can learn valuable lessons on how they treat others from this book. When Penelope considers the other kids’ feelings, she makes more friends.
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15. How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? – Chris Butterworth
This list of the best food books for kids isn’t complete without How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? By Chris Butterworth. This book explores how different foods are made and where they come from.
Kids can learn all about where foods usually appear in their lunchboxes come from. This includes bread, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and even chocolate.
Another great thing about this book is that it explores the food groups and gives great healthy eating tips.
The fun artwork is entertaining for kids throughout this informative book.
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Final Words On Best Books About Food For Kids
Food books are a great way to teach kids about food and the importance of good nutrition. There are a lot of valuable lessons that can be taught through a good food book.
Did I miss one of your kid’s favorite food books? Let me know about it in the comments below.