Books for Young Children: Children’s Cookbooks

Food is fun to play with, nobody can argue with that. But it’s also good to eat and discovering new foods should be on the fun list of all children! These cookbooks and books on educating young palates will introduce your children to the idea that they can graduate from being – hopefully adventurous – eaters to enthusiastic chefs.

Yummy Yucky

By Leslie Patricelli

Written by the author of the famous Quiet Loud book, Yummy Yucky shows things what toddlers should eat on one page, and things they shouldn’t eat on the opposite page. Burgers are yummy, boogers are yucky. Some hilarious “yucky” examples will have your little ones in giggles – stinky socks or mud pies with worms are sure to delight every foodie baby! With simple illustrations and very few words, this book is great to reinforce opposites and teach a trick or two about what’s edible.

Ages: 1 – 3 years

Fairy Cooking

Written by Rebecca Gilpin and Catherine Atkinson, illustrated by Molly Sage

Glitter sugar and pixie tea parties! This small cookbook offers easy recipes that are illustrated step by step and makes a fun beginner cookbook for eager chefs. From cheese scones to iced raspberry mousse or pretty fairy star cookies, the recipes appeal to the child about to host friends for playdates. Since all recipes yield between 10 and 70 child-size portions, it’s also a good cookbook to use for a birthday party menu.

Ages: 4 years and up

A World Of Food: Discover Magical Lands Made of Things You Can Eat!

By Carl Warner

What if the world were made out of food? You could explore deserts of couscous, smell a gold world of cinnamon sticks and roasted nuts, walk up a pink candy land alley under meringue clouds or cross a cucumber bridge in a lush broccoli tree forest. Whatever your favorite page, young food lovers will be amazed at the creativity of the food landscapes in this book. Inviting food discovery, this book begs for at-home re-enactments. Color-themed dinner, anyone?

Ages: 4 to 8 years.

Salad People and More Real Recipes: A New Cookbook for Preschoolers and Up

By Mollie Katzen

This wonderful children’s cookbook by chef Mollie Katzen is one of the rare cookbooks for toddlers where they can see easily in each illustrated step what they are doing. Coming with hilarious quotes from children who’ve tried the recipes, this cookbook only features vegetarian recipes and cooking tips. Counting Soup will surely become a family favorite, as well as focaccia or corny corn cakes. Just get an apron, wash your hands and let messy healthy miracles happen in the kitchen. A great birthday gift for sprouting chefs.

Ages: 3 – 7 years

The Batali Brothers Cookbook

Leo and Benno Batali

What better 50^th birthday gift to your superstar chef dad than a home-made cookbook? Plotted by teen brothers Benno and Leo, this cookbook is a great way to get boys and girls to cook family meals. If they’re hungry, let them roll up their sleeves and get chopping! Featuring a mix of crowd-pleasing kid favorites – scrambled eggs, beef tacos, peach shortcakes – the book also goes boldly where few kids’ cookbooks would go with kale salads, Brussels sprouts with pecorino and thyme, spaghetti with green tomato pesto or chocolate cake from Abruzzo. This is a great book for older children who are ready to graduate from a simple PB&J to the foodie realm. A word of warning to children: don’t let your parents steal your book!

Ages: 6 years and up