Readalouds with Recipes

Turn your readaloud into a snack with these foodie picture books.

Cooking together is one the most comforting (and delicious) ways to get through challenging times. “If you’re at home, cooking is a way to nurture yourself and learn things and stay active,” says Pati Jinich, chef and author of Pati’s Mexican Table: The Secrets of Real Mexican Home Cooking. “It’s also therapeutic because when you’re follow- ing a recipe, you put your brain to work and you’re focusing on that instead of thinking about the other worries you may have.” These picture books with recipes are he perfect read-and-eat combo for kids of all ages.

Thunder Cake BY PATRICIA POLACCO

The story: When the rumble in the distance warns that a thunderstorm is on the way, Tricia’s Babushka decides that it’s the perfect time to bake a thunder cake. Usually, Tricia would hide under her blankets until the storm passed, but she’s intrigued by her grandmother’s strange- sounding recipe.

The recipe: Pureed tomatoes are the secret ingredient in this simple chocolate cake.

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao BY KAT ZHANG

The story: You may identify with Amy Wu, who can’t quite seem to get it together when it comes to making her favorite steamed buns. They’re always too full or not full enough or so soft they totally fall apart, even if they taste good. But Amy’s got a plan, and she’s determined her next batch of bao will be as perfect as the ones the rest of her family makes.

The recipe: You’ll need a steamer to make these Chinese buns, but don’t worry: As Amy discovers, even if it doesn’t turn out perfectly, bao still tastes pretty terrific.

Holy Squawkamole!: Little Red Hen Makes Guacamole BY SUSAN WOOD

The story: In this lively adaptation of the Little Red Hen, the farmyard is more than ready to help the Hen sample the guacamole she whips up even though none of them wanted to help make it. (The culinary history of guacamole at the end is especially interesting.)

The recipe: Every chip deserves a dip in this spicy guacamole.

Tea Cakes for Tosh BY KELLY STARLING LYONS

The story: Tea cakes are a tradition in Tosh’s family, and he loves to listen to his grandmother tell the story of his great-great-great-grandmother Ida who used to sneak a few of the tea cakes she baked on the plantation where she was enslaved back home to her own children. Tosh’s grandmother follows the same tradition, and when she begins to lose her memory, Tosh takes over as the recipe carrier for his family.

The recipe: Sweet, buttery cookies are the stuff memories are made of.

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World BY MARJORIE PRICEMAN

The story: As Carl Sagan once said, if you want to make an apple pie from scratch, first you have to create the universe. In this playful picture book, you don’t have to create the world but you do have to travel it, journeying around the globe to collect far-flung ingredients for the perfect apple pie.

The recipe: It’s a classic apple pie, but the recipe is a great jumping-off point for creating your own perfect family version. (We mix our apples with boiled apple cider and lots of cinnamon when we’re making the filling.)

Soup Day BY MELISSA IWAI

The story: A little girl and her mom make soup together, from choosing ingredients to ladling up bowlfuls. There’s something intrinsically comforting about soup-making — maybe it’s that we can’t really mess it up beyond repair, and even if we can’t get all the ingredients we’d like, we can still make something delicious.

The recipe: A vegan-friendly vegetable soup with a flexible ingredient list will make your kitchen smell delicious.

What’s Cooking at 10 Garden Street? BY FELICITA SALA

The story: This book lets you peek into the kitchens of the residents of the apartments at 10 Garden Street while they’re preparing dinner. Each family has its own favorite foods from different parts of the world and their own histories, and they’re excited to share these favorites with their neighbors.

The recipe: There’s not just one recipe in this collection — every apartment gets to share a recipe for its dinner — but the stir-fried Little Trees were a hit here.

Peeny Butter Fudge BY TONI MORRISON AND SLADE MORRISON

The story: When Nana babysits, Mama’s schedule takes a backseat to family bonding time. The relationship between kids and grandparents is a special one that may feel on hold for lots of families right now, and this book is a sweet reminder that there are more memories to be made together.

The recipe: Rich, gooey peanut butter fudge is as sweet as a day at Nana’s house.

(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.) This was originally published in the spring 2020 issue of HSL. Want to subscribe?

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