Looking for picture books that will help you communicate with your toddlers about food?  Check out these parent and kid recommended books:

• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss – A classic, laugh out loud book about trying new foods.  This book should be in the home of every picky eater because it encourages kids to try new foods in a fun way.  My daughter loves to recite the rhymes.
• I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child – The ultimate picky eater picture for siblings.  This delightful story has an older brother convincing his younger sister to try some veggies by relabeling them with planetary names.  The illustrations are bold and fun.
• Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal – What a fun book!  Little Pea must eat his candy before he can enjoy his favorite dessert – a bowl of spinach.  My toddler laughs out loud when making the bleagh and ugh sounds along with Little Pea.  It might not change a kid’s mind about spinach, but it may be a starting point.  Simple clean illustrations accompany the text.
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff – I love to remind my daughter that when we’re eating, we’re also connecting the food to memories, places, friends.  This lovely book is a sweet introduction to the idea of food as part of a journey.
• Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney – Have a toddler who’d rather not go to the grocery store?  A hilarious and clever take on shopping with young ones, I enjoyed this book as much as my daughter.  The illustrations are charming and eye-catching, the text is mesmerizing.  Another book that is routinely recited by my daughter.
• Play With Your Food  by Joost Elffers – If you’re looking to make food fun, don’t overlook this book which is beautifully photographed and creatively crafted.  It’s a whole different way of looking at food, which might be exactly what your kids needs!
• Dog Day by Sarah Hughes – This book is not about eating, but I do like how the children at school pause for sandwiches at lunch right before nap.  This is an extremely engaging book for toddlers, with its full pages of colorful illustrations to captivate the reader.
• Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooley – The pictures feel a little dated, but the story is sweet and inclusive.  Furthermore, the recipes are delicious.  Make sure to try them out with your little one helping you in the kitchen.
• Everybody Bakes Bread by Norah Dooley – I liked this book even better than Everybody Cooks Rice.  The pictures are brighter, the writing is tighter, which will hold your child’s attention longer, and once again the recipes are fantastic.
• Look & See: What Do I Eat? (board book) by La Coccinella – This book may have been more fun for me than for my daughter, but I do recommend it.  This is a rhyming story that shows what baby animals eat – which may or may not be the same as their parents.  It’s very colorful and has a simple design.