Books for Kids - Books about Food

Check out this list generated by our Youth Services Librarians for the Scotch Plains Public Library's annual summer reading challenge.

Updated May 4, 2023
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Baking machine
Bowling, Dusti
Paper Book
Third-grader Aven Green has been baking for a really long time . . . since last week!  Now Aven is ready to shake things up by entering the exciting world of competitive baking with her friends Kayla, Sujata, and Emily. Aven knows she's an expert baker. So what if she...
Libby loves science
Derting, Kimberly
Paper Book
"A successful marriage of solid information and good fun."--School Library Journal (starred review) "A natural fit for classroom science units and home use."--Booklist Libby loves science! In this STEM-themed picture book, a companion to the popular Cece Loves Science...
Pete the cat and the sprinkle stealer
Dean, Kim
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author-illustrator team James and Kimberly Dean comes the next I Can Read Comics book in the Pete the Cat series! In Pete the Cat and the Sprinkle Stealer, Secret Agent Meow (also known as Pete the Cat) is ready to crack another case: a cat...
The missing cupcake mystery
Dungy, Tony.
Paper Book
When Mum brings home cupcakes for dessert, all the Dungy kids are thrilled. "These are for after dinner," she tells the children, and they all agree. But when she opens the box after dinner, one of the treats is gone! Who took the missing cupcake? Justin, Jordan, and Jade all have the same answer--...
Fox & Rabbit. 3, Celebrate
Ferry, Beth
Paper Book
Fox & Rabbit Celebrate is the third adventure in the graphic novel series from author Beth Ferry and illustrator Gergely Dudás for young readers, and it's full of surprises. Fox and Rabbit are cooking up something very special for Sparrow...
Jasmine Toguchi, mochi queen
Florence, Debbi Michiko
Paper Book
*A fun activity included in every book!* A Junior Library Guild Fall 2017 Selection An Amazon's Best Children's Books of 2017 A Beverly Clearly Children's Choice Award Nominee An Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids List 2017 A Chicago...
A tangle of knots
Graff, Lisa
Paper Book
A National Book Award nominee! The magic of Savvy meets the complexity of When You Reach Me in this "blithe magical puzzle," --The Wall Street Journal Told in multiple viewpoints, A Tangle of Knots is a magnificent puzzle. In a slightly...
Splat the cat takes the cake
Scotton, Rob.
Paper Book
When Splat's family's television breaks in an unfortunate cat-astrophe, Splat vows to win a new TV by entering a cake-baking competition. Splat's first attempt at cake baking is disastrous, but his second try is a winner. Splat creates a cake in the shape of his favorite TV...
Pie in the sky
Lai, Remy
Paper Book
El Deafo meets Inside Out and Back Again in this funny, emotional illustrated middle-grade debut about immigrating to Australia, being upstaged by an annoying little brother, baking cakes and overcoming loss. When Jingwen moves to Australia, he feels like...
Midsummer's mayhem
LaRocca, Rajani
Paper Book
A Kirkus Best Book of 2019! An Indies Introduce Selection for 2019! An Indie Next Pick for Summer 2019! "A delectable treat for food and literary connoisseurs alike." Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW "What a wonderful, intriguing, and magical book. And...
Bilal cooks daal
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019 An Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book 2019 Six-year-old Bilal introduces his friends to his favorite dish--daal!--in this charming picture book that showcases the value of patience, teamwork,...
Let's make cake!
Madan, Vikram
Paper Book
A hilarious new series about best friends Bobo and Pup-Pup--a monkey and a dog with very different personalities. Perfect for fans of Elephant & Piggie! Bobo and Pup-Pup are making a cake! Pup-Pup reads the ingredients and Bobo gathers them. Sugar and butter, no problem!...
Nixie Ness, cooking star
Mills, Claudia
Paper Book
Best friends Nixie and Grace spend every afternoon together . . . until Nixie's mom gets a new job and Nixie must attend the after-school program, without Grace. Third graders Nixie Ness and Grace Kenny have been best friends since they were two-years-old. They have always spent...
Lasagna means I love you
O'Shaughnessy, Kate
Paper Book
What are the essential ingredients that make a family? Eleven-year-old Mo is making up her own recipe in this unforgettable story that's a little sweet, a little sour, and totally delicious. Nan was all the family Mo ever needed. But suddenly she's gone, and Mo finds...
Cupcake diaries. 1, Katie and the cupcake cure
Simon, Coco
Paper Book
The bestselling Cupcake Diaries series is now available in graphic novel format! In this adaptation of the first book, after her best friend moves on, Katie finds a new group of friends and they form the Cupcake Club. Katie is miserable when her best friend is invited to join the...
Measuring up
LaMotte, Lily
Paper Book
An ALA Top 10 Graphic Novel of 2021 · A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection · Fall 2020 Kids Indie Next List · Featured in Today Show's AAPI Heritage Month List · Amazon Best Books November Selection · Cybils Awards Finalist · An NBC AAPI Selection · Featured in Parents...
Chef Yasmina and the potato panic
Mannaert, Wauter
Paper Book
Eleven-year-old Yasmina and her single dad lead a modest life in a cramped apartment in a bustling city. But even though money is tight, they eat like kings. Every day, Yasmina uses her cookbooks and fresh vegetables from the community garden to whip up gourmet meals. That is, until the day the...
Pete the cat and the missing cupcakes
Dean, Kim
Paper Book
From Kimberly and James Dean's bestselling Pete the Cat series, help Pete and his friends solve the mystery of the missing cupcakes! Pete the Cat and his friends are busy as can be baking cupcakes for a party, and Pete can't wait to perform with his groovy band. But some of...
The red hen
Emberley, Rebecca.
Paper Book
In this sparkling version of a classic tale, Red Hen finds a recipe for a Simply Splendid Cake and asks her friends the cat, the rat, and the frog to help with the preparations. But it seems as though her friends want no part in the cake until it's ready to eat. Will they decide to pitch in, or...
Dumplings for Lili
Iwai, Melissa
Paper Book
Lili loves to cook baos, and Nai Nai has taught her all the secrets to making them, from kneading the dough lovingly and firmly to being thankful for the strong and healthy ingredients in the filling. But when Nai Nai realizes that they are out of cabbage (Secret #8: line the basket with cabbage...
Tomatoes for Neela
Lakshmi, Padma
Paper Book
Padma Lakshmi, bestselling author and host of Bravo's Top Chef and Hulu's Taste the Nation, and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal team up in this celebration of food and family. "Some of my fondest memories from childhood are of cooking with the...
Octopus stew
Velasquez, Eric
Paper Book
What do you do when an octopus captures Grandma? Put on your superhero cape and rescue her! This clever picture book tells two stories in one, from award-winning Afro-Latino artist Eric Velasquez. The octopus Grandma is cooking has grown to titanic proportions. "¡Tenga cuidado!"...
Lights, camera, cook!
Harper, Charise Mericle
Paper Book
A zesty series for fans of kids' cooking competitions! It's "lights, camera, cook!" for four tween contestants--energetic Tate, charming Rae, worldly Caroline, and hyper-competitive Oliver--who are all about to enter a televised cooking competition.      What will...
Little Mouse and the big cupcake
Taylor, Thomas
Paper Book
Holy squawkamole! : Little Red Hen makes guacamole
Wood, Susan
Paper Book
This tasty takeonthe classic Little Red Hen story has a deliciously spicy twist!   Yum, guacamole! That's what Little Red Hen craves, and she could use some help gathering and mashing the ingredients. So she asks her friends, including an armadillo,...
Amy Wu and the perfect bao
Zhang, Kat
Paper Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019 Meet the funny, fierce, and fearless Amy Wu, who is determined to make a perfect bao bun today. Can she rise to the occasion? Amy loves to make bao with her family. But it takes skill to make the bao taste and...

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