So I did write Cooking theme post and How is Cooking Educational. We use cooking a lot in our homeschooling journey. To add more ELA in here is a list of great books that are also fun to read along as cook. This isn;t all the books so please stay tuned for an update. You can also join our FB Groups: MatthewsKitchennyc and Homeschooling in NYC for more info and live classes. Or check out our paid classes at www.matthewkitchennyc,com
Picture Books
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
If a hungry little mouse shows up on your doorstep, you might want to give him a cookie. And if you give him a cookie, he’ll ask for a glass of milk. He’ll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn’t have a milk mustache, and then he’ll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim….
If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff
The If You Give… series is a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, these books areperfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to “read it again!”
If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff
The If You Give… series is a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, these books are perfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to “read it again!”
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff
The If You Give… series is a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, these books areperfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to “read it again!”
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff
The If You Give… series is a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, these books are perfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to “read it again!”
If You Give A Pig A Party by Laura Numeroff
The If You Give… series is a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, these books areperfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to “read it again!”
Help your child better understand how food fuels and effects our bodies in Are You What You Eat? a book that uses color and fun presentation to communicate nutritional information in a fun and eye-catching way. Kids learn to see their food as more than just taste, learning things like which foods will make you sleepy, how to tell if you’re hungry or full, and why our bodies need nutrition. Teach your kids the basics about proteins, taste buds, antioxidants, and more food facts with Are You What You Eat?
Because nutritional information is presented through quizzes, questions, facts, and pictures, children are eager to learn from Are You What You Eat? They’ll be guided through food facts, how the digestive system works, and how to make smart choices about food and nutrition. Are You What You Eat? may even help picky eaters become a little more adventurous come meal time.
Stir Crack Whisk Bake: A Little Book about Little Cakes by America’s Test Kitchen Kids
From gathering ingredients to pouring batter to swirling on frosting, little ones will experience the magic of baking cupcakes without leaving the comfort of their bedroom in this first kids baking book. Using an interactive storytelling style, Stir Crack Whisk Bake lets the tiniest chefs be in charge!
Grow: How We Get Food from Our Garden by Karl Beckstrand
Kids love to see things grow. Learn basic gardening and find the animals (revealed in online extras). 325 dyslexic-friendly words by award-winning author and media professor Karl Beckstrand (She Doesn’t Want the Worms: A Mystery—click Karl Beckstrand above for all 60 multicultural books), illustrated by Zanara.
How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth
One of the best parts of a young child’s day is opening a lunchbox and diving in. But how did that delicious food get there? From planting wheat to mixing dough, climbing trees to machine-squeezing fruit, picking cocoa pods to stirring a vat of melted bliss, here is a clear, engaging look at the steps involved in producing some common foods. Health tips and a peek at basic food groups complete the menu.
Daniel Tries a New Food by Jason Fruchter
Miss Elaina is coming over for dinner, so Mom Tiger is making two super-special foods! But Daniel and Miss Elaina are nervous about trying them. With some help from Mom and Dad, Miss Elaina Daniel learns that they’ve got to try new foods because they might taste good!
This delightful story is perfect for helping little ones understand that trying new things—especially new foods—can be fun!
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure 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 spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You’re in red-hot trouble.
Eat More Colors by Breon Williams
Wouldn’t you want your child to learn all about the amazing benefits of eating right and leading a healthy lifestyle, in a fun, playful, and educational way?
If that’s the case, then this wonderful book is exactly what you need!
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
If food dropped like rain from the sky, wouldn’t it be marvelous! Or would it? It could, after all, be messy. And you’d have no choice. What if you didn’t like what fell? Or what if too much came? Have you ever thought of what it might be like to be squashed flat by a pancake?
Right This Very Minute: A table-to-farm book about food and farming by Lisl H Detlefsen
What’s that you say? You’re hungry? Right this very minute? Then you need a farmer. You have the stories of so many right here on your table! Award winners Lisl H. Detlefsen and Renee Kurilla’s delicious celebration of food and farming is sure to inspire readers of all ages to learn more about where their food comes from – right this very minute!
On a sunny, summer day, a young boy and his father assemble the ingredients for a homemade pizza. From gathering fresh garden herbs to rolling out the dough for a crust to spreading on sauce and cheese, this picture book leads young chefs step-by-step through the process of making a favorite meal. A pizza recipe completes Melissa Iwai’s appealing preschool offering,Pizza Day.
Secrets of the Garden by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Alice’s family plants a vegetable garden each spring, and this budding naturalist reports all she sees about how the plants grow, what insects come to eat the plants, and what birds and animals come to eat the insects. It’s the food chain, right in her own backyard!
Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey Kyle
Nacho likes to eat only one thing—gazpacho! Gazpacho for breakfast, gazpacho for lunch, gazpacho for dinner, for snacks, and for brunch. Nacho won’t even try other dishes—until he discovers miles and piles of mouthwatering vegetables at the market. This lively rhyming story, sprinkled with Spanish, will delight little chefs. A recipe for Gazpacho and a Spanish glossary are included.
Panda Love Pickles by Liz Lynch
Pandas Love Pickles is a whimsical ABC book that explores animals, food, different cuisines, and alphabet letters in a way that will inspire your young eater to try new things at mealtime. Through gorgeous illustrations of animals paired with silly foods to try, your little one will be excited to discover new things to eat. Try it, you might love it! Now available in the Pandas Love series, Pandas Love Pizza! Featuring all new animals, and all new foods for your little one to try.
Let’s Eat: Mealtime Around the World by Lynne Marie
Dig in to this fun and informational book that explores foods from 13 countries around the world. Meet characters from countries including Sweden, Peru, Pakistan, Nigeria, and more as they enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Be inspired to try something new and learn about other cultures. Let’s eat!
Little Taco Truck by Tanya Valentine
Little Taco Truck serves up tasty treats to the hungry workers on Union Street . . . until one day, Miss Falafel shows up with her baked pita bread and crunchy chickpea fritters–and parks in his space. The next day, Miss Falafel is there again, and this time she’s brought Gumbo Jumbo and Annie Arepas with her. Little Taco Truck’s headlights dim. What if people like Gumbo Jumbo’s spicy stew and Annie Arepas’s warm cornbread cakes more than they like his tacos? When more trucks arrive the following day and there’s no space left for Little Taco Truck, he swishes his wipers to hide his tears and heads home. At last, with some ingenuity and help from new friends, Little Taco Truck wins back his coveted parking spot. And guess what? There is room enough for everyone!
Every Night is a Pizza Night by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
Pipo thinks that pizza is the best. No, Pipo knows that pizza is the best. It is scientific fact. But when she sets out on a neighborhood-spanning quest to prove it, she discovers that “best” might not mean what she thought it meant.
Join Pipo as she cooks new foods with her friends Eugene, Farah, Dakota, and Ronnie and Donnie. Each eating experiment delights and stuns her taste buds. Is a family recipe for bibimbap better than pizza? What about a Moroccan tagine that reminds you of home? Or is the best food in the world the kind of food you share with the people you love?
Waffles the Chicken in the Kitchen by Ken Matthews
He goes to the farmer’s house and into the kitchen. Then he gathers all of the ingredients for a perfect sandwich.
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
“Do you like green eggs and ham?” asks Sam-I-am in this Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss. In a house or with a mouse? In a boat or with a goat? On a train or in a tree? Sam keeps asking persistently. With unmistakable characters and signature rhymes, Dr. Seuss’s beloved favorite has cemented its place as a children’s classic. In this most famous of cumulative tales, the list of places to enjoy green eggs and ham, and friends to enjoy them with, gets longer and longer. Follow Sam-I-am as he insists that this unusual treat is indeed a delectable snack to be savored everywhere and in every way.
Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison
LouAnn (a bear) is making a doughnut feast in preparation for her long winter’s nap. But just before she takes the first bite, DING DONG! Her friend Woodrow (a woodchuck) drops by. LouAnn is happy to share her doughnuts, 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 come over–Topsy (an opossum) 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 doughnuts, always dividing them equally among her friends. But she makes one BIG miscalculation. Soon LouAnn’s kitchen is bare, winter is near, and she’s had nothing to eat at all!
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola
Missing ingredients and mischievous pets create one humorous complication after another for a little old lady determined to make pancakes for breakfast in this larger-sized, color-enhanced edition of Tomie dePaola’s wordless picture book classic.
Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World by Alice B. McGinty
Breakfast varies from country to country, but it’s how all children begin their day. Explore the meals of twelve countries in this playful approach to the world!
From Australia to India to the USA, come travel around the world at dawn. Children everywhere are waking up to breakfast. In Japan, students eat soured soybeans called natto. In Brazil, even kids drink coffee–with lots of milk! With rhythm and rhymes and bold, graphic art, Pancakes to Parathas invites young readers to explore the world through the most important meal of the day.
Tony dreams that one day he’ll become the most famous baker in northern Italy. His poor daughter Serafina wants to be allowed to marry. Each of their dreams seems far away until Angelo, a rich young nobleman from Milan, appears and devises a way to make everyone’s dreams come true.
Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola
“Illustrated in dePaola’s signature style, this has an inviting look. Buoyant watercolors are framed by thin orange borders….An engaging read-aloud choice for St. Patrick’s Day.” — BooklistA Cheery picture book, with the artist using the lighter, brighter side of his palette….Attractive and amusing.” — Kirkus Reviews
The Popcorn Book by Tomie dePaola
Tony likes to cook. Tiny likes to read. And both twins like to eat . . . POPCORN!
So while Tiny cooks it, Tony reads about it: what popcorn is, how it’s stored and prepared, legends and stories about it, and its history in Europe and North America.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Carle’s classic tale of a voracious caterpillar who eats his way through the days of the week and then changes into a eautiful butterfly has been reissued in a sumptuous twenty-fifth anniversary edition with a shiny, silver-coated cover and wonderfully thick, durably pages.
The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
Little Red Hen is a time-tested cautionary tale about how we reap what we sow. When the hen asks a cat, dog, and mouse for help planting some wheat, she gets no takers: “‘Not I!’ said the cat. ‘Not I!’ said the dog. ‘Not I!’ said the mouse.” They won’t water, cut, or grind the wheat . . . or help bake a cake with it, either. So guess who eats the cake by herself in the end? The Caldecott Honor artist Paul Galdone’s delightfully detailed ink and wash illustrations—packed with charming details—add plenty of sly humor to the well-loved story that not only offers a sage message but also shows children what it takes to make a cake from the ground up!
Anansi and the talking Melon by Eric A. Kimmel
When his melon begins talking, Elephant is so impressed he decides to take it to show the king. But Anansi can’t resist the opportunity to make jokes at the expense of everyone they meet. Even the King loses his temper over Anansi’s bold remarks—but how will the Spider free himself?
Anansi’s quick thinking will delight readers who love to watch a master trickster at work, and the bold illustrations of the animals’ frustrated faces are sure to make kids laugh.
Based on tales originating in West Africa and familiar in Caribbean culture, the five-book Anansi the Trickster series is full of slapstick humor and mischief. Eric A. Kimmel’s imaginative retellings combined with Janet Stevens’ expressive illustrations create the perfect silly stories for fun-loving kids.
Armadillo Chili by Helen Ketterman
A blue norther’s a-blowing’, and Miss Billie Armadilly is hankering to make a pot of chili! Only she needs to fix it all by herself because Tex the tarantula, Mackie the bluebird, and Taffy the horned toad are too busy to lend a hand. Well, she’ll eat it all by herself, too! But then the smell of chili cooking in the cold night brings her friends one by one back to Miss Billie’s door. What’s a lady armadillo to do?
Ten Apples on Top by Theo LeSieg
Don’t let the apples drop! Three animal friends practice balancing apples on their heads in this hilarious introduction to counting, illustrated by Roy Mckie. The sturdy board book teaches all about numbers, with a dose of signature Seuss charm. Kids will learn to count to ten–and want to start all over again!
Cook-a-Doodle -Doo by Janet Stevens
Big Brown Rooster is sick of chicken feed. So along with his friends–Turtle, Iguana, and Potbellied Pig–he sets out to make the most magnificent strawberry shortcake in the whole wide world. But there’s one problem: none of his friends knows how to cook! The team bravely forges ahead, and with Rooster’s help, they learn how to measure flour (not with a ruler) and how to beat an egg (not with a baseball bat). But can they keep Pig from gobbling up all the ingredients? Take an old family recipe, add four funny friends, and mix in some hilarious cooking confusion and you have a picture book treat for children of all ages!
In this tasty tale, a baker hangs out his sign on a small street, and soon the line for his donuts stretches down the block. But it’s not long before the competition arrives and a delectable battle of the bakers ensues.
How to make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
An apple pie is easy to make…if the market is open. But if the market is closed, the world becomes your grocery store. This picture book takes readers around the globe to gather ingredients for a delicious apple pie. First hop a steamboat to Italy for the finest semolina wheat. Then hitch a ride to England and hijack a cow for the freshest possible milk. And, oh yes! Don’t forget to go apple picking in Vermont! A simple recipe for apple pie is included.
How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
Fancy a slice of cherry pie? Let’s get started. . . . What, no bowl? No pie pan? No pot holders?
Join our young baker (and her little dog!) as they travel the United States—from New Hampshire to Hawaii, from Alaska to Texas—in search of the coal, cotton, clay, and granite they need to create all their baking tools.
Thunder cake by Patricia Polacco
A loud clap of thunder booms, and rattles the windows of Grandma’s old farmhouse. “This is Thunder Cake baking weather,” calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find . . . and the storm is coming closer all the time!
Reaching once again into her rich childhood experience, Patricia Polacco tells the memorable story of how her grandma–her Babushka–helped her overcome her fear of thunder when she was a little girl. Ms. Polacco’s vivid memories of her grandmother’s endearing answer to a child’s fear, accompanied by her bright folk-art illustrations, turn a frightening thunderstorm into an adventure and ultimately . . . a celebration!
Whether the first clap of thunder finds you buried under the bedcovers or happily anticipating the coming storm, Thunder Cake is a story that will bring new meaning and possibility to the excitement of a thunderstorm.
Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle
The barnyard rooster crows to tell Jack it’s time to get up. It’s very early in the morning — and Jack is so hungry that what he really wants is a large pancake for breakfast. But first, Jack’s mother needs flour from the mill, an egg from the black he, milk from the spotted cow, and butter churned from fresh cream. Will it ever be time for breakfast and that large pancake?
“Pancakes, Pancakes!” is a delightful story of an old-fashioned breakfast. Modern-day pancake mix holds little charm compared to starting from scratch, and young readers will find their mouths watering, and will wish that they, too, could have real pancakes, pancakes!
Breakfast for Jack by Pat Schories
In this wordless picture book, there’s a lot going on at Jack’s house, and someone forgot to feed him.
Pancake Pandemonium by Anita Pouroulis
You might say pancakes are little Polly’s favourite treat. Or you might say she’s a little obsessed. Either way when mum’s too busy to rustle up her favourite snack Polly decides to take the initiative. Though she ends up wishing that she hadn’t… Piles of Pancakes is a charming, rhyming-story that’s perfect for any child keen to get off the sidelines and into the thick of things. Written by Anita Pouroulis it’s typically celebrates a child’s imagination and in this case, that great American staple, the Pancake! The illustrations by Tom Bonson capture the zany madness of the story perfectly too.
Max’s Breakfast by Rosemary Wells
In Max’s Breakfast, Ruby tries hard to get Max to eat his breakfast egg.
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood
Little Mouse loves strawberries, but so does the big hungry bear. . . How will Little Mouse stop the bear from eating his freshly picked, red ripe strawberry? This classic story is beloved for its humor, expressive illustrations, and surprise ending—pure read-aloud fun!
Oliver’s Fruit Salad by Vivian French
Oliver is off to stay with Grandpa, who grows his own vegetables. But Oliver doesn’t eat vegetables – only chips. How will Grandpa persuade him into a week of healthy eating?
Watermelon Wishes by Lisa Moser
When Grandpap teaches Charlie how to plant watermelon seeds in the spring, Charlie hopes they’ll grow a “Wishing Watermelon.” Grandpap has never heard of such a thing, and when he asks Charlie what he would wish for, Charlie won’t tell. Through a whole summer of biking, fishing, basketball, and waiting for watermelons together, Grandpap tries to guess his grandson’s harvest wish.
Lush, vivid paintings evoke the friendship, teamwork, and affection between grandfather and grandson as they share their wisdom and this special summer together.
Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert
While teaching upper- and lowercase letters to preschoolers, Ehlert introduces fruits and vegetables from around the world. A glossary at the end provides interesting facts about each food.
Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh
Rhymed text and illustrations relate the life of John Chapman, whose distribution of apple seeds and trees across the Midwest made him a legend and left a legacy still enjoyed today.
Monster’s Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks
In this rollicking picture book written by Barbara Jean Hicks and illustrated by Sue Hendra, monsters insist they don’t like broccoli. They’d rather snack on tractors or a rocket ship or two, or tender trailer tidbits, or a wheely, steely stew. But boy do those trees they’re munching on look an awful lot like broccoli. Maybe vegetables aren’t so bad after all!
This hilarious book will have youngsters laughing out loud and craving healthy monster snacks of their own.
Rah, Rah Radishes by April Pulley Sayre
Veggies take the stage in a rollicking ode to healthy eating in this Classic Board Book edition of Rah, Rah, Radishes!
Rah, rah, radishes, red and white!
Carrots are calling. Take a bite!
Oh boy, bok choy, Brussels sprout.
Broccoli! Cauliflower! Shout it out!
Know anyone who doesn’t like veggies? Here is a book that’s sure to change their hungry minds! With raucous, rhyming text,Rah, Rah, Radishes! celebrates fresh vegetables, nature’s bright colors, and the joy of healthy eating. The book’s interactive spirit encourages kids to join in on the read-aloud fun, and little ones won’t be able to resist the book’s vibrant photographs—they’re a feast for the eyes!
A TALL tale about the power of teamworkWhen sweet Little Isabelle?s family plants a carrot seed one day, tall Papa Joe, wide Mama Bess, and strong Brother Abel all do their part. But when Little Isabelle wants to help too, Brother Abel just laughs. ?What can you do?? he asks. ?I?ll sing and dance to the carrot to make it grow,? she says. ?And come summer, we?ll have little cups of sweet carrot puddin?.? Sure enough, that carrot takes a fancy to Little Isabelle?s singing and dancing and grows to an amazing height?proving that great things can be accomplished when everyone works together.Based on an old Russian folktale, and complete with a scrumptious recipe for carrot puddin?, this wonderfully humorous story shows the strength of teamwork and the power of a touch of imagination.
The Enormous Carrot by Vladimir Vagin
Floyd, Daisy, and their friends cannot pull a giant carrot out of the ground until a tiny mouse joins them, in a fresh new version of an old folktale that shows the importance of teamwork.
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Ten years ago, Amy Krouse Rosenthal burst into children’s books with Little Pea, a book destined to become a classic. Her witty text about a little pea who won’t eat his sweets combined with the whimsical yet warm hearted art by Jen Corace create a go-to baby gift, a hilarious read-aloud, and the perfect intervention for picky eaters.
The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane Auch
After her royal father decides to retire and become a wood carver, Princess Paulina has no idea what to do with herself. She can’t survey the kingdom from her leaky cottage roof, and no one waves back when she proceeds through the town on her father’s cart.
When she hears that a neighboring queen is seeking a bride for her son, Prince Drupert, Paulina sees her chance to get back to princessing. But it will take all her wit and determination to pass the Queen’s tests. . . . and in the end, maybe there are better fates than a royal marriage.
Full of tongue-in-cheek references to stories like Rapunzel, Snow White, and the Princess and the Pea, this fractured fairy tale is an hilarious twist on traditional tales in which a young woman’s practicality, good humor, and intelligence let her shape her own happy ending— with extra cheese and all the toppings her heart desires.
The Pigeon finds a hot dog by Mo Williems
When Pigeon finds a delicious hot dog, he can hardly wait to shove the entire thing in his beak. But . . . then a very sly and hungry duckling enters the scene and wants a bite. Who will be the more clever bird?In this hilarious follow-up to the acclaimed Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Mo Willems has created another avian adventure that encourages children to share even their most prized processed foods. Mo Willems is a six-time Emmy Award-winning writer and animator for Sesame Street and the head writer of Cartoon Network’s Code Name: Kids Next Door. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! is the companion to Mo’s first children’s book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! He is also the author of Time to Pee!.
Clever soldiers outwit greedy townspeople with the creation of a special soup in this cherished classic, a Caldecott Honor book.
First published in 1947, this picture book classic has remained one of Marcia Brown’s most popular and enduring books. This story, about three hungry soldiers who outwit the greedy inhabitants of a village into providing them with a feast, is based on an old French tale.
Hamburger Heaven by Wong Herbert Yee
Pinky Pig’s clarinet has met with an unfortunate accident. Lucky for Pinky she works at Hamburger Heaven: she can work hard and save up for a new one. But the customers are growing tired of the same old menu – cheeseburgers – and Pinky might soon lose her job due to a drop in sales. So she springs into action, devising a menu in which all the customers can choose any tasty topping for their cheeseburgers. Hedgehog loves the Snailburger Supreme and Skunk thinks the Stinkbug Burger’s a dream. Pinky, the innovative young porcine heroine of this charming rhymed tale, is sure to serve up lots and lots of laughs.
he seven silly eaters
D.W the Picky Eater
Gregory, The Terrible Eater
I will never not ever eat a tomato
Tales for Picky Eaters
The Berenstain Bears & Too Much Junk Food by Stan Berenstain
Come for a visit in Bear Country with this classic First Time Book® from Stan and Jan Berenstain. Papa, Brother, and Sister are eating way too much junk food, and it’s up to Mama and Dr. Grizzly to help them understand the importance of nutritious foods and exercise. Includes over 50 bonus stickers!
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