Book picks similar to
No More Beige Food by Leanne Shirtliffe


picture-books
food
multicultural
picture-book

Jimmy the Greatest!


Jairo Buitrago - 2010
    The owner of the gym suggests that Jimmy start training, and to inspire him, he gives Jimmy a box full of books, as well as newspaper clippings about Muhammad Ali - "The Greatest." Jimmy is swept with admiration for Ali. He begins to read and run and box like crazy, even though someone at the gym has taken his shoes. And as he does so, he makes a great discovery: you don't have to leave home to be "the greatest."Unlike many stories about emigration, Jairo Buitrago's simple, profound text is about someone who decides to stay in his small remote town in Latin America. Combined with Rafael Yockteng's humorous illustrations, this book will be especially appealing to boys and boxing aficionados.The Spanish edition, ¡Jimmy, el más grande!, was recently nominated for one of "Los mejores libros del año" (Best Books of the Year) by Venezuela's Banco del Libro.

Tyrannosaurus Drip


Julia Donaldson - 2007
    When the baby dinosaur hatches out, he's so out of place that his grisly big sisters call him Tyrannosaurus Drip.

A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat


Emily Jenkins - 2015
    This richly detailed book ingeniously shows how food, technology, and even families have changed throughout American history. In 1710, a girl and her mother in Lyme, England, prepare a blackberry fool, picking wild blackberries and beating cream from their cow with a bundle of twigs. The same dessert is prepared by an enslaved girl and her mother in 1810 in Charleston, South Carolina; by a mother and daughter in 1910 in Boston; and finally by a boy and his father in present-day San Diego. Kids and parents alike will delight in discovering the differences in daily life over the course of four centuries. Includes a recipe for blackberry fool and notes from the author and illustrator about their research.From the Hardcover edition.

My Grandpa's Chair


Jiyeon Pak - 2017
    But no matter what kind of chair he tries, he can never seem to find the right one. Some chairs are too small; others are too soft. Some are too hard, while others are too fancy. Just when Grandfather thinks he'll never find the right chair, Julie takes him to a park. And there, Grandfather finally finds the perfect seat . . . and discovers that it's not about the chair you sit in, it's about who is sitting next to you.

The Perfect Nest


Catherine Friend - 2007
    Jack the cat is building the perfect nest. It' s bound to attract the perfect chicken, who will lay the perfect egg, which will make the perfect omelet. And sure enough, a chicken shows up ( Caramba ), but so do a duck ( Sacre bleu ) and a goose ( Great balls of fire ). Feathers get ruffled -- and Jack gets much more than breakfast -- in a funny tale rich in detail with a sweet final twist.

What Was I Scared Of?


Dr. Seuss - 1997
    Finally, when the two find themselves hiding from each other in a Snide bush, the terrified narrator realizes, "I was just as strange to him as he was strange to me."  This little Seussian gem, plucked from the back of The Sneetches and Other Stories, shines on it own as it delivers a timeless message about fear and tolerance.

Hermelin: The Detective Mouse


Mini Grey - 2013
    He is also a finder. The occupants of Offley Street are delighted when their missing items are found, but not so happy to learn that their brilliant detective is a mouse! What will happen to Hermelin? Will his talents go unrewarded?

Emma and Julia Love Ballet


Barbara McClintock - 2016
    Julia is big. They both love ballet. Emma takes ballet lessons. So does Julia. Emma is learning to be a ballerina.  Julia is a professional ballerina.   They are both excited about the big performance in the theater tonight. Emma will be watching from the audience.  Julia will be dancing onstage! And afterward, Emma will go backstage to meet her ballet hero!

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?


Jane Yolen - 2005
    Jane Yolen runs through the gamut of mealtime bad behaviour, satisfyingly concluding with impeccably behaved dinosaur guests.

In the Land of Milk and Honey


Joyce Carol Thomas - 2012
    Terrific sights and flavors welcome them with sweet possibility, reflected in the faces of people of all races, cultures, and ethnicities. Where oranges are as big as grapefruits and bears fish like men-California awaits, as one girl makes the exciting cross-country move by train with her family. Awe-inspiring scenes come to life as soaring mountains give way to the sweeping Golden Gate. The adventure of this world unfolds as the train takes them to a place where people from all paths come together, sipping Mexican hot chocolate and eating African bread, and music from the welcome party fills the air. This tells the tale of many who made this same trip, drawn by a land filled with plenty and promise, the land of milk and honey. in this breathtaking and gorgeous story, the dynamic duo of Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper capture the anticipation and thrill of a girl on the brink of her new life.

We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey Through Tanzania


Laurie Krebs - 2003
    Along the way, the children encounter all sorts of animals including elephants, lions and monkeys, while counting from one to ten in both English and Swahili. The lively, rhyming text is accompanied by an illustrated guide to counting in Swahili, a map, notes about each of the animals, and interesting facts about Tanzania and the Maasai people. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book will be donated to the African Wildlife Foundation, to aid their wildlife conservation and community building efforts in Tanzania. (Softcover) 32pp;10.25 x 10 inches

Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn


Shannon Hale - 2021
    From bestselling duo Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham comes a kitty and unicorn story that celebrates the magic of friendship—and being exactly who you want to be! Kitty thinks she might be a unicorn. She feels so perfectly unicorn-y! “Neigh!” says Kitty. But when Unicorn clop clop clops over, sweeping his magnificent tail and neighing a mighty neigh, Kitty feels no bigger than a ball of lint.Can this unlikely pair embrace who they are, and truly see one another?

My Rainy Day Rocket Ship


Markette Sheppard - 2020
    A stormy afternoon and an order from Mom to stay inside are no match for this little dreamer, who uses everyday household items--a rocking chair, a cardboard box, an old dishrag, and his super-duper imagination--to whip up an indoor space adventure he won't soon forget. A spectacular launch into outer space ultimately lands him on a new planet called X-Y-Z, also known as B-E-D, in a faraway galaxy known as the Land of ZZZZZZs.This rhythmic read-aloud is, on the surface, all about the soaring ingenuity of a child who refuses to let boredom outdo his inventiveness: he builds a rocket ship, designs his space gear, waves his flag, and uses his magical mind to take flight. Dig deeper and see a celebration of a little boy's imagination and all the ways he uses it to transform the mundane into the extraordinary and to dream out loud.My Rainy Day Rocket Ship is a high-spirited, engaging salute to the imaginations of black boys who use their beautiful minds to boldly go where not even the sky is a limit.

A Gift from Abuela


Cecilia Ruiz - 2018
    And as Nina grows up, she and Abuela spend plenty of time together. Abuela can't help thinking how much she'd like to give Nina a very special treat, so she saves a little bit of her money every week -- a few pesos here, a few pesos there. When the world turns upside down, Abuela's dream of a surprise for Nina seems impossible. Luckily, time spent together -- and the love Abuela and Nina have for each other -- could turn out to be the very best gift of all. With a soft and subtle hand, author-illustrator Cecilia Ruiz draws from her own history to share a deeply personal tale about remembering what's most important when life starts to get in the way.

Mam� the Alien / Mam� La Extraterrestre


Rene Colato Lainez - 2016
    Sofia heads to the library to learn more about aliens. Some are small and some are tall. Some have four fingers on each hand and some have large, round eyes. Their skin can be gray or blue or green. But Mama looks like a human mother! Could she really be an alien? Sofia is still puzzling out this mystery when she sees an alien-looking Mama one night. It turns out Mama is doing a beauty treatment so she will look her best for her citizenship ceremony. That's when Sofia realizes that in English, an alien can be someone from another planet, and it can also be a person from another country. Just like Mama! Filled with imagination and humor, Mama the Alien/Mama la extraterrestre is a lighthearted immigration tale and a celebration of family, no matter where that family comes from. Even if it's outer space!