Food, Cooking, & Culture: English Children’s Books

This is such a lovely book about a modern Native American family and what fry bread means to them. Fry bread is more than food, it is time together, traditions, family, and nation. I adore Martinez-Neal’s illustrations in this unique story. This book won the 2020 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, and was a 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor Winner (among many other awards).

A beautifully illustrated book taking readers through a Mexican market! In both English and Spanish, kids will love using this book to practice food vocabulary. Pair this one with a trip to a Mexican market near you or making a yummy new recipe.

This is a sweet multicultural book about different food traditions. A perfect book for young children to learn about how our neighbors and friends are alike and different from us. It has music included to enjoy it in song form!

Bee-bim bop translates to “mix-mix rice” and is a traditional Korean dish made up of rice, meat, and vegetables. My little ones loved the illustrations of the young girl helping her family with all the steps of making this yummy dish – something they love to do, too! We also enjoyed the musical, rhythmic text and the author’s own recipe at the end.

This is an absolutely beautiful story (with equally beautiful illustrations) about Market Day! A young girl visits the market in India, describing the rainbow of colors and the delicious traditional foods she discovers while searching for a special gift for her mother.

Six-year-old Bilal gets to help his dad make their favorite South Asian lentil dish – daal! He wants all of his friends to try this yummy dish because they’ve never had it. A lovely book about family traditions, sharing them with friends, and trying new things.

Leila, a young Pakistani girl, is at her grandmother’s house for a weekly family dinner together. Sometimes her self-esteem is lacking, but this particular night she notices all of the foods, traditions, art, and cultural heritage that make her who she is. A message for all of us to be proud of ourselves and our unique identities – just as we are.

An informational book that explores how kids and families eat in 13 countries around the world – from Sweden to Peru or Pakistan! A favorite for introducing specific foods from a variety of different cultures to kids. Pair this up with a kids’ cook book recommendation below because your kids will want to try something new!

This adorable, rhyming book teaches kids about the different kinds of breakfast foods enjoyed around the world – from Jamaica to Australia or Nigeria (and many other countries). A book to inspire your little one to want to travel, try new foods, and learn more about the unique and diverse people in our communities or abroad!

A beautiful story of sharing and community – and wonderful food! Neighbors and friends in this urban community can’t help but smell and want to drop by to see if Omu will share a taste of her delicious stew.

In this sweet book about Filipino food and heritage, Cora gets a chance to be Mama’s assistant chef when her older siblings aren’t home. They make pancit together – Cora’s favorite noodle dish. Cora loves getting to be the big helper in the family!

A beautiful story about a girl searching for her younger brother, who is late for dinner. She checks for him at each neighbor’s house, visiting families from many different countries, discovering they each cook a different rice dish for dinner. Multicultural rice recipes are included at the end.

You’ll explore 14 countries in this gorgeous book about food, traditions, and cooking. Each country features information about how people eat all over the world, a map of the country, and a simple and yummy recipe for kids to try!

A gorgeous book of poetry celebrating the indigenous foods of the Americas. Perfect for reading before making your own dish together – with one of the delightful foods inside – or just for fun. We’ve loved every single title we’ve read by author Pat Mora!

This informational book takes you and your kids on a trip around the world! You’ll read about countries like Iran, Mexico, China, and Egypt to discover what kinds of foods they eat and what kinds of celebrations they enjoy. A must-have book for older kids!

This amazing Usborne book depicts the ways in which we are similar and different from people of different cultures across the world. In it you’ll find fun and informative looks at how people live in different countries. It includes the food-related chapters of buying groceries and healthy eating, as well as many more topics like playing outdoors, festivals, and getting around. A must-read pick!

This is a heart-warming book for elementary students on valuing our own multicultural food traditions. Saraí and her friends are tired of the cafeteria food, and embark on a quest to create a new menu. Students set up booths to showcase their family’s specialties (like Peruvian chicken or Mexican tamales) for Around-the-World Day.

This is a gorgeously-illustrated cookbook for young kids. It is filled with global dishes that the residents of the Garden Street apartments are making: beans, meatballs, gazpacho, or stir-fry. A beautiful message for kids that our neighbors have their own cultural traditions – and we should feel proud of our own backgrounds and respect theirs as well. Every neighbor has something to offer!

If your kids love geography and travel, they’ll love this fun cookbook full of global recipes! With simple step-by-step instructions, kids can try out yummy new foods from countries like Morocco or Brazil. Pique your kids’ interest in learning about other countries – from home – with these mouthwatering recipes.

We loved this amazing kids’ cookbook! It is FULL of colorful photos, delicious recipes from all over the world, and interesting cultural information. The recipe steps are easy to follow independently for older kids – or together as a family for younger kids. You’ll even learn some new words (and how to pronounce them). Definitely give this one a try!

Fun Ideas & Resources for Language Learning with Kids in the Kitchen