Food book to read & demo to preschoolers?

My Head Start teacher friend has invited me to come and lead story time at her school. The plan is to read a book, ideally with pictures, somehow related to food and then demo a snack preparation and feed the kids. I'm looking for a story book appropriate for preschoolers that has a connection to some kind of snack I could make, preferably with little or no cooking required (e.g. fruit salad, trail mix, etc.). Ideas, anyone?

Thanks in advance.

Green Eggs and Ham natch

This one's pretty good:

http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Alphabet-L ... 015201036X

Today is Monday by Eric Carle
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
Bebe Goes Shopping by Iya
Colors of Us by Katz
Growing Vegetable Soup by Ehlert
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Child
If You Give A Pig A Pancake by Numeroff
Little Pea by Rosenthal
Little Red Hen by DePaola
Lunch by Fleming
Very Hungry Caterpillar by Carle

Tom Robbins makes me laugh, think and imagine in ways that no other author can. I was glad to discover that in addition to some of his very-adult novels, he has a book written with the kiddos in mind. My daughter and I have had quie a few enjoyable sessions reading this together, always followed by a trip to the refrigerator.


photo from amazon.com

I highly recommend Fanny at Chez Panisse - but keep in mind you may have to reduce your reading to an excerpt for preschoolers.

Somewhat less of a cookbook, but another I like because it's about food security issues and connects food with farming: The Good Garden. You might have to reach a bit for a snack.

My favorite as a kid was Dr. Seuss's Scrambled Eggs Super, but it's kind of limiting as far as food goes and is a bit lengthy.

There's a whole series of rhyming books about ethnic foods, one very cute one is Bee-Bim Bap another suspiciously similar one is The Empanadas that Abuela Made

Numeroff's "If you give" series now includes

1. IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE
2. IF YOU GIVE A MOOSE A MUFFIN
3. IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PANCAKE
4. IF YOU GIVE A CAT A CUPCAKE
5. IF YOU TAKE A MOUSE TO SCHOOL
6. IF YOU TAKE A MOUSE TO THE MOVIES
7. IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PARTY

At least with the first few, the mouse and moose appear in the pig's book -- I don't know how long she kept that up.
We used to sell children's books, and there are 3-foot wide editions of those (and many others) for reading to the class. Ask your bookstore, they can probably special order.

Numeroff has a mouse cookbook, too.

I am realizing that on this forum, I really ought to specify that the cookbook does not contain recipes to cook mice.

I used to teach preschool and kindergarten and I think the above suggestions are great (especially Ehlert, Numeroff and Carle). One of my favorites for my own kids was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. But I think that would be better for reading one-on-one because the illustrations are so detailed and imaginative. Have fun!

Did I mention this elsewhere? The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been recruited by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation as part of their anti-obesity campaign!

Mhays wrote:Did I mention this elsewhere? The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been recruited by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation as part of their anti-obesity campaign!

Could be hard to find nice green leaves to feed the kids this time of year.

My mother is a pre-school teacher and each year they make "stone soup". It certainly isn't advanced cookbook type cooking, but she uses it to teach about sharing.

http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Soup-Aladdi ... 0689711034

Mhays wrote:I am realizing that on this forum, I really ought to specify that the cookbook does not contain recipes to cook mice.

Rats!

Thanks so much for all of these ideas. I'm reading to the kiddos early next month, so I'm going to park myself at CPL next weekend, read through the suggestions and decide. I also want to make a book donation to the school, so any books I like but am not able to read on my visit, I can purchase and just give to the class for future story times.

PBS just posted an article on this very subject.

Mhays wrote:PBS just posted an article on this very subject.

Excellent! I'm reading on Friday and still have to decide on a book and snack.