Pre-K
10 Fantastic Food Books for Preschoolers
by Janssen Bradshaw
Food is tricky at the preschool age.
My older daughter was a phenomenal eater for the first two years of her life and happily consumed pretty much anything we gave her (oh, what excellent parents we thought we were). Then, as she hit two, she suddenly developed deep preferences about what she wanted to eat and strongly resisted trying new foods, and sometimes even rejected foods she’d loved for years.
Books can be a great way to talk about food with your child, whether you’re dealing with a picky eater, a child who loves to cook, or something in between. They don’t have the pressure of food sitting in front of them, so it can be a calm time to talk about trying new foods, where food comes from, and the great variety of foods available around the world.
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Mrs. Peanuckle’s Vegetable Alphabet
Also available from:This clever alphabet book, along with Mrs. Peanuckle's Fruit Alphabet, is a perfect way to explore new and unusual produce. You can also extend the fun by turning it into a treasure hunt the next time you go the grocery store!
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Pancakes, Pancakes!
Also available from:Jack wants a pancake for breakfast, but there are a lot of steps to gather all the ingredients. I’m thankful I don’t have to thresh and grind wheat when I feel like having a pancake for breakfast! There’s also a recipe in the back of the book so you can make your own pancakes after reading.
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Green Eggs and Ham
Also available from:If there is a more popular book about food for children, I don’t know what it is. You may need to make some green eggs after reading this one!
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The Ugly Vegetables
Also available from:Who wants to grow ugly vegetables when you could be growing flowers instead? But when it’s time to make soup, vegetables do their job perfectly. This book not only includes a recipe for “Ugly Vegetable Soup,” it also has a pronunciation guide for the Chinese names of the vegetables.
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I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato
Also available from:Lola will NOT, under any circumstances, eat certain foods. Until her older brother Charlie slyly informs her that her mashed potatoes aren’t actually potatoes, but cloud fluff from the tops of mountains. And so on, until they arrive at the most offensive food of all: tomatoes.
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Bread and Jam for Frances
Also available from:For the child who only wants to eat the same foods over and over again, this is the perfect book. How long does it take to get tired of eating only bread and jam? Frances’s little rhymes are the best part.
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Blueberries for Sal
Also available from:When Sal and her mother go blueberry picking, Sal and a baby bear accidentally switch mothers. Who knew blueberries were so distracting?
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Dragons Love Tacos
Also available from:Did you know dragons love tacos? They really, really love them. But what they don’t love is spicy salsa. You can only imagine how hot things get when a dragon accidentally eats some too-spicy salsa.
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How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? The Story of Food
Also available from:If your preschooler is constantly asking “why” and “how,” this is the book for you. It breaks down the origins of a basic lunch box, from a slice of bread to the chocolate chips inside a cookie. Where did those things come from?
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Mouse Soup
Also available from:When a mouse is caught by a hungry weasel, he manages to escape by telling a series of stories and then instructing the weasel to go collect items from the stories to add to the soup. How else would you make mouse soup?
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