Nutrition Books for Preschoolers

The Carrot Seed
Ruth Krauss, Crockett Johnson (Illustrator)
A classic story about a little boy who plants a seed, then waits patiently for his prize-winning carrot to grow.

Blueberries for Sal
Robert McCloskey
Sal can't seem to pick the berries as fast as she eats them in this gentle tale of mothers, cubs, and blueberries.

for California

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months
Maurice Sendak
"Each month is gay, each season nice, when eating chicken soup with rice."

Color Crunch
Charles Reasoner
A colorful food guide for pre-schoolers, complete with bite marks on the pages that feature food.

Growing Colors
Bruce McMillan
Bruce McMillan uses his camera to invite young children into gardens and orchards to discover nature's beautiful colors.

I Eat Fruit
Hannah Tofts, Rupert Horrox (Illustrator)
This book introduces children to fruits and vegetables but also provides an artful impact by placing a photograph against a dramatic background.

I Eat Vegetables
Hannah Tofts (Illustrator)
A colorful introduction to fruits and vegetables that allows children to see which need to be peeled, which have seeds, which have pits, etc.

Jamberry
Bruce Degen (Illustrator)
A boy and a bear romp through Berryland, inviting the reader to celebrate in this berry-filled hunt.

Lunch
Denise Fleming (Illustrator)
A mouse chomps his way through this clever book of turnips, carrots, corn, peas, berries, grapes, apples and watermelon.

No Milk!
Jennifer Ericsson, Oran Eitan (Illustrator)
A charming book about a city boy who tries almost everything to get milk out of a cow.

Pancakes, Pancakes
Eric Carle (Illustrator)
This story takes the reader through the preparation of a pancake breakfast: getting flour from the mill, an egg from the hen, milk from the cow, butter churned from cream, and firewood for the stove!

Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Play Rhyme
Nadine Bernard Westcott (Illustrator)
Two children create a table-sized sandwich.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle
The caterpillar eats his way through the week (and book), before changing into a beautiful butterfly.

To Market, To Market
Anne Miranda, Janet Stevens (Illustrator)
Rhythmic and fun, this story adapts a traditional children's song into amusing chaos in our contemporary world.