Cooking Up a Storm

Books featuring food are some of my favorites. It's cool to see what combinations the characters try. It's especially great when there are recipes included in the book, but even when that isn't the case, similar recipes can be found online so I get busy cooking or baking either way. 

Here are some of the books featuring food that I've enjoyed during the past year or two. 

Picture Books:

Grandpa Grumps by Katrina Moore

Illustrated by Xinoi Yan

Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed

Illustrated by Aneesha Syed

Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez

Middle Grade Novels/Grapic Novels:

A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi & Laura Shovan

Matthew Winner's Children's Book Podcast Episode (both authors)

Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai

Measuring Up (Available Oct. 27) by Lily LaMotte 

Illustrations by Ann Xu

Young Adult:

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

Review at Rich in Color

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love

Edited by Caroline Tung Richards & Elise Chapman

Review at Rich in Color

Non-Fiction: 

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Tradition

by Kevin Noble Maillard, Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang

Illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz

Not Necessarily for Young Readers:

Let's Make Ramen: A Comic Book Cookbook

by Hugh Amano & Sarah Becan

Excerpt from Let's Make Ramen

Happy reading and happy eating!!

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

 

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more nonfiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year. So far, I've read 58 this year.

Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! America's Sproutings by Pat Mora
illustrated by Rafael López

Summary from author's page: 

Smear nutty butter,
then jelly. Gooey party,
my sandwich and me.

Peanuts, blueberries, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and more-here is a luscious collection of haiku celebrating foods native to the Americas. Brimming with imagination and fun, these poems capture the tasty essence of foods that have delighted, united, and enriched our lives for centuries. Exuberant illustrations bring to life the delicious spirit of the haiku, making Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! America's Sproutings an eye-popping, mouth-watering treat. Open it and dig in!

An interview with Pat Mora about this book in particular and the need for diverse books.

My thoughts: This is a beautiful book combining two things I really enjoy - food and poety. The haiku are fun and I really appreciated learning the history of these indigenous foods. The artwork is vibrant and gorgeous. I look forward to sharing this with students.

 

Fresh Delicious: Poems from the Farmers' Market by Irene Latham

illustrated by Mique Moriuchi

Goodreads summary: In these vivid poems, blueberries are “flavor-filled fireworks,” cucumbers are “a fleet of green submarines in a wicker sea,” lettuce tastes like “butter and pepper and salt,” but sometimes “I crunch into a leaf the very same flavor as rain.” The unexpected, ingenious imagery and enticing artwork in this collection will inspire the imaginations of young readers, and show how poetry can be as fresh and delicious as the farmers’ market produce it celebrates.

My thoughts:  Fresh delicious is another wonderful pairing of food and poetry. The poems and illustrations are playful and full of life. The addition of adorable animals is also a plus. I think this book is a great way to get young readers excited about fruits and veggies. I appreciated the inclusion of recipes.