BY KRIS KAHRS
Having just come off a four-day binge-fest also known as the Fourth of July, I couldn't help but notice how many kids books were about food. It's no surprise that kids love food as much as grownups do. Here are some of my favorites, memorialized in hot fudge:
1) In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. Published 1971. In this Caldecott winner, Mickey is awoken by a racket in the night. A rather surreal story with delightful Sendak illustrations. A narrated version can be found on Youtube.
3) Strega Nonna by Tomie dePaola. Published 1975. Although a popular misconception thinks that Strega Nonna is a classic Italian folktale, here's a link that explains how the actual character came to be. An interesting genesis as explained by Tomie dePaola.
4) The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Published 1969. Eric Carle has some terrific coloring pages on his website. One of them is of a voracious caterpillar and all of the many foods that he eats on his way to transformation. There's also a newsletter, downloads and some games for your wee reader.
5) Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. Published 1978. This 'tale within a tale' book has a Grandfather telling his grandkids about the town of Chewandswallow where food falls from the sky. This book was later made into a successful film and sequel that bear little resemblance to the original but were popular nevertheless.
1) In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. Published 1971. In this Caldecott winner, Mickey is awoken by a racket in the night. A rather surreal story with delightful Sendak illustrations. A narrated version can be found on Youtube.
2) Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. Published 1960. From Android app to Audible audiobook to a Chinese language version, there are endless ways that Dr. Seuss serves up this perennial fav.
3) Strega Nonna by Tomie dePaola. Published 1975. Although a popular misconception thinks that Strega Nonna is a classic Italian folktale, here's a link that explains how the actual character came to be. An interesting genesis as explained by Tomie dePaola.
4) The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Published 1969. Eric Carle has some terrific coloring pages on his website. One of them is of a voracious caterpillar and all of the many foods that he eats on his way to transformation. There's also a newsletter, downloads and some games for your wee reader.
5) Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. Published 1978. This 'tale within a tale' book has a Grandfather telling his grandkids about the town of Chewandswallow where food falls from the sky. This book was later made into a successful film and sequel that bear little resemblance to the original but were popular nevertheless.
What are your favorite kidlit books you read with your little foodie?
Please share your comments below.
Please share your comments below.
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ReplyDeleteKids definitely love food, especially the tasty, maybe not so healthy, ones. Great book choices. I don't have a little kid anymore so don't have any picture books to recommend.
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie-- My seven year old son's favorite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar of the above. We don't read it much anymore, but I have some great memories of him putting his tiny fingers in all the holes. Thanks for reading!
DeleteWhat? No books about Chocolate chip cookies?
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Mrs. Fields Fan
Lupe--Please suggest the best book you've ever read about chocolate chip cookies. Or maybe that should be our resident cookie-baker's next project? How 'bout it Hilde? Any ideas?
DeleteI love all the ones you mentioned. I would add The Little Red Hen. and of course, me being me, The Gingerbread Man. There are lots of great take-offs on this one.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue-- Really you are rights. The list is endless. There's 'Blueberries for Sal', 'Pete's a Pizza' and 'The Stinky Cheese Man' just to name a few more.
DeleteAt the risk of tooting my own horn, I'd have to say my favorite is BLACKBERY BANQUET by yours truly (Terry Pierce). There's even a recipe in the back matter for a blackberry smoothie, which sounds quite refreshing right about now in this current heat wave :-P.
ReplyDeleteSounds yummy, Terry. For those who want to try Blackberry Banquet, Here is the link
Deletehttp://www.amazon.com/Blackberry-Banquet-Terry-Pierce/dp/1934359289
Oooohh Terry, would you do a guest post for The Pen and Ink Blog on Blackberry Smoothie making and how you created such a delicious story?
DeleteI taught first grade and third grade for 30 years. I cherished the times when I read books like these to my class. There is one that jumps to the front of my mind as a favorite: "The Eye Of The Needle". If you get a chance to read it, you'll love it! Whoever you read it to will love it also, I guarantee!
ReplyDeleteThanks Katherine. I will definitely pick this one up and read it to my son. And thanks to Sue below for the link to where The Pen and Ink Blog's readers can pick it up!
DeleteGreat post! Here's one I like: "Thunder Cake" by Patricia Polacco. It has amazing artwork, a great story about a grandmother teaching her granddaughter to overcome her fear of thunder, and also has a thunder cake recipe! Copy, paste, and enjoy! http://www.patriciapolacco.com/participation/kidstalk/questions_week/week_3/cake_recipe.html
ReplyDeleteThanks, Penny for including the link to the recipe.
DeleteHere is a link from Goodreads for the book. I want to share it with my granddaughters.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/443633.Thunder_Cake
O.k., making Thunder Cake is a great idea. I have to make this now. Thanks Penelope!
DeleteOh, I just googled it. The book I'm talking about is "The Eye of The Needle" based on a Yupik tale, written by Betty Huffmon!
ReplyDeleteHereis a link to the Eye of the Needle. My reading list grows.
ReplyDeleteoops...
Deletehttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/296244.The_Eye_of_the_Needle
My favorites were Goodnight Moon, Go Dogs Go and The Sneeches....not a tasty tidbit among them!
ReplyDeleteWhat, what, what? No plate of chocolate chip cookies right next to you as you are curled up? That's just not right, but I s'pose I would survive (sigh). Thanks for reading Karol!
DeleteI hate to be obstreperous, but "A Fork in the Road" is one of my MuseItUp publications, and it has very little food in it ... just a picnic lunch that is not described in any detail. Just saying this so nobody gets confused between my book title and your blog title.
ReplyDeleteJames Hartley
Thanks for clearing that up James!
DeleteI like The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins. It's about sharing cookies.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link. http://www.amazon.com/The-Doorbell-Rang-Gr-K-3/dp/0590411098
DeleteLooks great. I hope you all are reading these comments. Some great suggestions here.
Ooooh, did I mention "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie"? Another good one. One of many, many...Thanks for reading Janet!
Delete