Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

When you are trying out a new food, a great book to read is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. This book is engaging, colorful and fun. It is a story that is very popular and your children may already be familiar with. What makes this story so great to read during mealtime is that its about trying a food that you think you won’t like. I know this happens often with especially my children. Most of the time, I am begging them to try new foods and this is a fun silly way to show them that trying new foods can be fun and that they actually might like it! This is also a great book for phonemic awareness and improving literacy! Here is fun quick recipe for my “green eggs and ham”

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 defrosted Dr. Preagers spinach pancake

shredded cheese (optional)

a taste of butter or nonstick spray

side of ham or turkey

Directions:

Scramble eggs in pan with either butter or nonstick spray. Add defrosted spinach pancake. Add cheese if desired. Scramble until cooked. Serve!

You can substitute ham for turkey if desired on the side!

Silverlicious by Victoria Cann

My daughter loves all of the pinkalicious books and so Silverlicious is no exception! I like this story because it compares the sweetness of candy to being “sweet natured”. This book is about Pinkalicious and her waiting for the tooth fairy. Pinkalicious can’t taste anything sweet because she hasn’t been sweet to her brother. For my children its a good time to talk about what tastes “sweet” and what it means to be sweet to the people we love. This might be a great book to read during dessert time. For example, you can give your child something “sweet” like candy or fruit and then something “sour” like a lemon or a sour candy. This is also a great opportunity to discuss what it means to respect others in our family and how to be sweet to each other.

Little Pea by Amy Krause Rosenthal and Jen Corace

This book is one of my kids favorites! It is a very fun entertaining book that discusses the life of a little pea who hates candy. Mama pea encourages Little Pea to keep eating candy so he can grow up to be a big pea like his Papa. It is a great book to read during mealtime to make your kids giggle and laugh about how Little Pea hates candy. So when your children ask for candy for dessert, you might say “Pleh” like Little Pea. How about giving spinach for dessert like Little Pea? It may seem silly normally but after reading this book it won’t seem so silly anymore!

Shabbat Box by Leslie Simpson and Nicole in den Bosch

This book I read every friday during our Shabbat dinner. We have our own Shabbat box that we made and decorated. This book is a wonderful book about a boy who waits for his turn to have the Shabbat Box. He loses it on the way home and then decides to make his own to share with his class. This book discusses Shabbat dinner briefly but more importantly it talks about what a Shabbat Box is and what you might do if you lose something. Ask your children, “How would you feel if you lost something important to you?” or “What would you do if you lost something that you borrowed from school?”. Here what I did to make our Shabbat Box:

1. 1 clear container (any size you want)

2. glue

3. stickers

4. crayons

5. glitter or sparkles

Decorate the box anyway you want!

Go Greenie! Are You Eating Something Red? by Ryan Sias

This book I originally first saw when the author came to Barnes and Noble and read it during story time. This book is colorful, engaging and silly. Its about Mr. Greenie who loves to eat fruit and vegetables. The book teaches children colors, different fruit and vegetables and that when you eat too much you get a stomachache! It also exposes children to different foods that they may have not seen before. This is a great opportunity to expose your children to new foods.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

This book is a very popular and for many reasons.  This book teaches children about the process of becoming a beautiful butterfly. This book incorporates all different kinds of food in all different food groups. It also teaches counting, colors and many other important concepts.  Check out this great activity kit from Lakeshore Learning. They have excellent products that I use with both my children and in therapy with other children.

Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems

This is a fun entertaining book that most children can relate to? The dilemma of sharing ice cream with others. I know when I was younger, my mom always wanted a taste of my ice cream which I wasn’t always happy about! This is a book about an elephant who trying to decide whether to share his ice cream with his best friend, Piggie. In the end, Piggie shares her ice cream with him because Elephant’s ice cream melted while he was waiting to make a decision whether to share it or not. It’s a great way to begin a conversation about sharing food with others that you love. It also shows that when you treat others with love and respect they will in turn treat you with the same respect.

Julius Wild Wild West Bonanza by Paul Frank

I have always loved Paul Frank so when he started writing children’s books I was definitely thrilled. This book is an engaging book about a sheriff named Julius whose whole town does everything he does. They dress like him, they eat what he eats, etc. The town gets shook up when a banana truck arrives one day and Julius orders Banana Pancakes. That event initiates everybody else to start dressing different, eating different foods and riding different animals in town. The moral of the story is that you should always be you and instill that in your children. They don’t have to always follow along what everyone else is doing, they should be themselves all the time!

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Willems

This book is another amazing book by Mo Willems.  Since my kids love hot dogs and eating them any chance they can get, the book hit home even more. The book is about the pigeon who is adamant about keeping the hot dog for himself and when a very curious chick keeps asking him questions, the pigeon finally gives in and shares the hot dog. This is another excellent book about initiating a conversation about sharing your food with others. Sharing food comes up a daily basis between family members and at school. I could remember when I was very little and sharing food with my older brother and my friends at school.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett and Ronald Barrett

This book is so funny your children will love it. The book is about a town called ChewandSwallow. Instead of rain and snow, food falls from the sky. Eventually, the people had to move out of the town because the food coming down becomes extreme and no one can live there anymore. It is a great conversation starter to ask your children, “What would you like to fall from the sky?”. Also, there are really funny parts to the story such as the day that Gorgonzola cheese was the only food to come from the sky and all of the people had their noses plugs on and day of overcooked broccoli.

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tommie dePaola

I love this book because it doesn’t have any words, just pictures. I find these books great because its so easy for children to “tell you” the story. You really have to read the expressions on the characters faces in order to interpret what the woman is thinking and what she is going to do.  It’s an excellent way to help a child begin to “tell a story” themselves with the pictures alone. It has been a favorite book of mine since I was a little girl and what better way to pass on a wonderful book to your children. My children can also definitely relate to having all of their pancake mix eaten by an animal living in our house (our hound Maple!)

Green Start: In the Garden by IKids

This book is excellent to read during mealtime because it is very informative about where fruits and vegetables come from. Living in Manhattan, my children think that all fruit and vegetables come from a cardboard box labeled Fresh Direct. In the book it teaches children about where fruits and vegetables grow and the act of “picking and eating”. This book can be a great book after visiting a garden or having your own garden. This book can also motivate you to have your own garden. It has some good tips in the back of the book to get you started. The book is also very “green” because it’s made out of 98% recycled materials and printed with eco friendly ink.

I Love You All of the Time by Jessica Elin Hirshman and Jennifer Elin Cole. Illustrated by Bonnie Bright

I love this book so much. This book I read anytime but mealtime or bedtime is ideal. I think this book is great to read to your child to explain that even when you are busy or upset you still love them. This book has made a real difference for my kids and I because after I get upset or frustrated I say to them, “Does Mommy still love you when I get upset?”. My daughter always says “yes” and I think that this book has helped her understand that I love her anytime.  This also makes you stop and think to say to your child one more time how much you love them. I think you can’t say it enough!

If You Give Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff, Illustrated by Felicia Bond

This book is simple and a great read during mealtime or dessert time. It’s a book about a mouse who makes cookies. In the story, he burns some cookies while sleeping and makes a mess. At the end he makes lots of cookies and shares with a friend. Another great story about sharing, especially cookies!

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

This book is a favorite of mine. It’s was published in 1945 and shows that as much time passes, certain books are timeless. This is a very special book about a boy that plants a carrot seed. Everyone in his family kept telling him that the carrot wouldn’t grow but the boy never gave up.  At the end the carrot grew just like the boy believed it would. This is a great story to explain to your children that you should never give up on things that you believe in. This is something that I live by and that I want my children to live by. Don’t give up on your dreams!

Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

This is a beautifully illustrated book about a character named Annie who sells apples, sells them at the market and also bakes. I love this book because it is very engaging because of both illustration and simple text. Apple picking is a big time for me and my family so anything with apples sparks in an interest in my family.  It also talks about selling the apples in the city, where we live so my kids can relate. The book also has recipes in the back that look really yummy.

Yummy Yucky by Leslie Patricelli

This a very cute book that teaches children the difference between yummy and yucky. It’s a great book to read anytime but especially during mealtime.  A cute carryover activity is making up your own yucky and yummy list. For my children, we discussed bath water being yummy or yucky, play doh being yummy or yucky, and my pea soup being yummy or yucky.

When I was Little A Four Year Old’s Memoir of Her Youth by Jamie Lee Curtis  Illustrated by Laura Cornell

This book isn’t specifically about mealtime but is a feel good magical book. I love the illustration, the story and the message it sends. Whenever I read this book I think that its such a wonderful book for older siblings who may want to be a baby again or are jealous of their younger sibling. This is a great way to start a conversation about what dreams are and what they like to do as  “big girl” and/or a “big boy”.

Bim and Bom A Shabbat Tale by Daniel J. Swartz. Illustrated by Daniel Iwai

This is another excellent Shabbat book to read during Shabbat dinner. The book is about a sister and brother named Bim and Bom.  What I love about this book is that Bim, who is the sister, is a hard working talented carpenter.  Many children are not able to read books about women having jobs such as a carpenter. The brother, Bom is a baker.  The two characters work all week and look forward to seeing each other on Shabbat. I love this book because it also provides a nice way to discuss how “Mommy” and “Daddy” work all week and then rest on the weekend.  Additionally, it provides a nice model of how much family means to the characters. Time with your family is valuable, especially when both parents are working and time together is limited.

Chef (People Who Help Us) by Amanda Askew and Andrew Crowson

I recently bought this book at the Scholastic book fair at my daughter’s school. I really liked this book not only for the simple text but also the attractive illustration. I loved the lesson that the book taught about what a chef does and what his responsibilities are. What I also liked about this book is that it discussed how to keep food safe.  In this book, the workers had to throw out several food items because the refrigerator broke down.  This is a great book to open a discussion about keeping food safe. Ask your children “What belongs in the fridge?” or “What would you do if Mommy forgot to put the chicken in the fridge?”. I also love that the book discusses different types of foods, such a leeks and lamb chops. I love exposure to all types of foods at a young age.