Families are always looking for ways to increase fruit and veggie intake. These vegetable and fruit books for kids will hopefully inspire us and entertain us at the same time. Make up a fruit and veggie platter and let’s get reading.
Books About Fruit and Vegetables for Children
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National Fruit and Vegetable Month is celebrated all of June so let’s read books all about these yummy and nutritious foods.
I LOVE Strawberries! by Shannon Anderson is diary-style book will inspire you to plant your own strawberry patch.
And, I created a whole Family Dinner Book Club to pair with this book. See all the details below.
It’s Time for Berries! by Ceporah Mearns allows us to gather Arctic berries at the end of summer in this multi-generational story.
A Song of Frutas by Margarita Engle takes us to Cuba where a child visits her abuelo who is a street vendor. She enjoys singing with him to sell their fruit.
Sour Cherries: An Afghan Family Story by Dezh Azaad is the story of family tradition of picking and preparing sour cherries. Through the process, the child in the story learns about their family and the land from where they come.
Tomatoes for Neela by Padma Lakshmi takes us into the kitchen and beyond as a mother and daughter cook together. But, the connection goes beyond the two cooks to other generations and the world. This book includes two recipes for tomato chutney and tomato sauce. Back matter also includes tomato and farmworker facts.
One of the most popular fruits is the apple. And, I’ve got a whole book list dedicated to the crunchy treat.—> Books About Apples for Kids
Berry Song by Michaela Goade is a gorgeous book celebrating the bounty of the land, the wisdom of our elders, and the connections to our ancestors.
Usher in fall with Time for Cranberries by Lisl H. Detlefsen which shows how cranberries are harvested.Berries, berries and more berries is what you will find in this rhythmic story of a bear and boy who go on a berry adventure. The illustrations in Jamberry are full of all kinds of berries too. After reading, you will definitely be ready to eat berry jam on something!
The Most Perfect Persimmon by Hannah Chung is the story who tries to hold onto the perfect persimmon until her Grandma arrives. But it starts to shrivel. Will it still be perfect for Grandma?
How does popcorn end up in your bowl? Well, first you have to grow the popcorn. Take the journey from the garden to your mouth in Let’s Pop, Pop, Popcorn by Cynthia Schumerth. This informational book works well for a storytime read-aloud because it has lots of rhythm and bright engaging illustrations. Backmatter includes diagrams, a science activity, and a craft. Did you know that popcorn comes in two shapes?
Strong family ties and creative problem-solving are in store when you enjoy Sweet Potato Pie by Kathleen Lindsey. Sadie’s family is faced with a drought. Sweet potatoes are the only crop that can be saved. With money being tight, the family comes up with the idea to turn those sweet potatoes into sweet potato pies and sell them at the Harvest Celebration.
Do your kids like potato chips? Are you a plain or BBQ fan? Personally, I love a BBQ chip. You need to read a fun book called Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament by Anne Renaud. This book has a fun opening, “George Crum loved to cook. He fricasseed and flambeed, boiled and braised, poached and pureed.” So much vocabulary packed into two lines. So legend has it that George Crum invented the potato chip in 1853 while working at a restaurant. A picky customer returned their potatoes complaining they were undercooked and too thick. So George decided to go to the opposite extreme for the customer. The book is a playful variation on that legend that is packed with entertainment. And, the illustrations are beautiful. Grab a copy of the book and bag of potato chips! Enjoy!
Will your friends help you out if your house is so full of carrots that there isn’t any room left? That is what Rabbit finds out in Too Many Carrots by Katy Hudson.
Calling all pumpkin lovers! I’ve got a book list dedicated to fall staple too.—> Books About Pumpkins
Grandma’s Roof Garden by Tang Wei is the story of a granny who tends to her rooftop garden with grace, skill, and determination sharing her bounty with family and friends in China.
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin is the story of one family that had a garden like no other in the neighborhood. For theirs held the yummy ingredients for a delicious ugly vegetable soup. Of course, the recipe for that soup is included in the back of the book.
Enjoy these book activities to use with the book too.—> The Ugly Vegetable Book Activities
Every Color Soup by Jorey Hurley is another book to work on colors and healthy eating. What colors are all the yummy vegetables?
Amara’s Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood hits the mark as a great read-aloud that can be used for multiple lessons. Of course, we have pumpkins. Join Amara on the farm and help her locate the pumpkins. Along the way, we learn the names of lots of different fruits and vegetables. Students will also learn about descriptive words, comparing/contrasting, colors, and lots of gardening vocabulary.
Rah, Rah, Radishes! by April Pulley Sayre takes the love for vegetables even deeper with this lively chant.
On the Farm, At the Market by G. Brian Karas showcases all the hands that work at the farm to bring food to market and to those who create goods with the resources grown.
Alice Waters Cooks Up a Food Revolution by Diane Stanley is a feast. Alice Waters is known for using fresh ingredients to create amazing flavorful foods in her restaurant. She started a food revolution that can be seen in communities across the world now.
Saturdays at Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery is based on a true story of a community coming together to grow fruits and vegetables to share with others. The book includes a recipe for vegetable soup.
I loved that she created a set menu concept and that the menu would change every day based on what was available, in season, and tasted the best. Fresh and local all the way!
Fruit and Vegetable Family Dinner Book Club
Use the books above to create your very own Family Dinner Book Club. I have everything you need to have a successful book club.
- Great Book List
- Conversation Starters
- Themed Menu
Vegetable and Fruit Books
Our featured read-aloud for Family Dinner Book Club is I LOVE Strawberries! by Shannon Anderson, but you could also read a different book from the list above or even more than one. A printable list of books is included below.
Fruit and Vegetable Conversation Starters
Here are a few discussion starters to jumpstart your dinner book club conversation. These are also included in the printable below.
- Which fruit(s) or vegetable(s) was featured in this book? Why was it important to the story?
- What was your favorite part of the book? Why?
- What is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?
- How many different fruits and vegetables have you enjoyed? Which one is your favorite?
- Which fruit or vegetable would you like to try and grow?
Fruit and Vegetable Themed Menu
Enjoy these menu ideas and recipes for a fun and festive dinner while you discuss the book of the month. The menu and links are also included in the free printable below.
Printable Book List and Resource Pack
Grab this printable book list of books described below along with the resources to create your own Family Dinner Book Club.
Enjoy more food-themed books too.