Picture-Book-Inspired Cuisine: Nurturing a Love of Reading & Cooking

In my family, October is pumpkin season: scones, muffins, soups, stews, and other favorite orange-hued foods. For us, it marks a return to the warm, comforting foods of autumn and winter. Of course, this is just one of many food traditions that we and families around the world enjoy. Food traditions that build bonds. That instill memories. That endure and find their way into the stories we share—and write.  

Put this all together and what do you get? The perfect opportunity to combine a love of reading with a passion for cooking, nurturing both in the process. To that end, here are twelve picture books with recipes from various cultural traditions to share with the children in your life. Each presents a fun, engaging story and one or more delicious-sounding recipes to whip up together.

There’s something here for everyone, from toddlers to upper elementary readers. So, go ahead. Make and enjoy some yummy, picture book-inspired cuisine, then come back and tell us all about it!   

Masala Chai, Fast and Slow —Written Rajani LaRocca, Illustrated by Neha Rawat (Illustrator)

Recipe: Masala Chai

Aarav and his grandfather approach most things differently. But there’s only one way to make a perfect cup of chai. 

Soup Day —Written and Illustrated by Melissa Iwai 

Recipe: Vegetable Soup

A family celebrates both the process and the anticipation of making and sharing a nutritious, snowy-day meal.

*Also available as a board book

Soul Food Sunday—Written by Winsome Bingham, Illustrated C. G. Esperanza 

Recipe: Mac & Cheese

A joyful glimpse into a large family’s Sunday gathering as a young boy helps his granny prepare a soul food feast.

When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast—Written by Andrea L. Rogers, Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight

Recipes: Corn Soup, Eggs & Wild Onions, Grape Dumplings

A Cherokee girl and family gather wild onions from “the best, secret places” for a traditional community feast.

Seoul Food—Written by Erin Danielle Russell, Illustrated by Tamisha Anthony 

Recipe: Kimchi Gumbo

Hana celebrates her multicultural heritage by creating a new recipe that draws from both sides of her family and combines their favorite flavors.

Boys Don’t Fry—Written by Kimberly Lee, Illustrated by Charlene Chua

 Recipe: Peranakan Pongteh Chicken 

Jin longs to help prepare the Lunar New Year feast, but his aunties keep shooing him away—until his grandmother steps in.

Dumpling Day—Written by Meera Sriram, Illustrated by Inés de Antuñano

Recipe: Dumplings (10 different recipes from around the world!)

Ten families from ten different cultures prepare their favorite dumplings. Includes fun facts and a map showing where each recipe originated.  

Squawk of Spanish—Written by Gabriella Aldeman, Illustrated by Romina Galotta

Recipe: Rice Pudding

Max’s Spanish is far from perfect, so he hesitates to speak. But a day spent cooking with his Abuela shows him that trying is what matters most.  

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao—Written by Kat Zhang, Illustrated by Charlene Chua

Recipe: Bao

Amy Wu is determined to make a perfect bao bun, but her attempts are anything but perfect. Will she ever get it right? Does it even matter?

Kadooboo!: A Silly South Indian Folktale—Written by Shruthi Rao, Illustrated by Darshika Varma

Recipe: Kadooboo

A fun folktale filled with friends, family, food and lots of zany wordplay as Kabir tries to recall the name of this “puffy, sweet, and crunchy” treat.

Baking Day at Grandma’s—Written by Anika Denise, Illustrated by Christopher Denise

Recipe: Chocolate Cake

Three bouncing bears traipse through the snow to Grandma’s house for a joyful day of mixing, stirring, and sipping hot cocoa. A fun, rhyming romp!

Apple Cake: A Gratitude—Written by Dawn Casey, Illustrated by Genevieve Godbout

Recipe: Apple Cake

A sweet, rhyming story filled with gratitude for nature’s bounties and the joy of combining them into a special treat to share.

Want more? Check out these PBs with recipes by KidLit Works authors:

Awe-samosas by Marzieh Abbas (Recipe: Samosas)

Challah for Shabbat by Sara Holly Ackerman (Recipe: Challah Bread)

Legendary Cakes by Kerisa Greene (Recipe: Bánh Chung)

Peaches by Gabriele Davis (Recipe: Peach Cobbler)

Gabriele loves peach cobbler, just like her father before her. She lives, writes, and bakes in the northwest corner of Connecticut, where she is surrounded by woods, wetlands, gardens, and meandering bears. She loves hilly bike rides, hiking with her grandkids, and baking treats to share. Her home is filled with books and cozy places to read. Visit her at www.gabrieledavis.com